The Tide of Darkness
by Bravobravo
Summary: Sequel to "For the Blood of the South". As the Eastern and Western packs try their best to defend themselves against the evil Dark Walkers, Humphrey and his friends travel to the Valley of Light to learn, heal, and prepare, for the worst has yet to come.
1. The Sadist

**I don't suggest those who did not read the first one to read the sequel for none of what you read will make any sense. I understand that For the Blood of the South is rated M and this story is currently rated T. I plan to change that, but for now, this story has no content that suggests its placement being moved from T to M. Enjoy the first chapter of the sequel to For the Blood of the South.**

**Chapter 1: The Sadist**

"Kill them..." The darkness whispered.

Shadow stared into the cave of frightned children, protective mothers and the elderly. Their sons, and daughters blood glazed across his fur.

Shadow had let the Darkness guide him, running blindly into unknown woods, heading South.

It had only taken a day to reach the small pack of wolves with the benefits of his new body.

Shadow knew what he would have to do before the darkness spoke.

"But...they're innocent wolves...they have never harmed me or my people..."

_"No...that they have not...and never_ _will. Must I remind you that you swore yourself to us...do as you are commanded Reaper..."_

Shadow nodded gravely before rushing into the wolves territory, dragging his left paws blade across the first throat he crossed.

What happened next shocked Shadow.

As the blood flew onto his fur, he felt alive and...happy. He felt power rush through his veins as he continued the onslaught with glee.

Some stood against him, and some ran, begging for mercey.

Shadow killed them all, cutting throats and snapping necks left and right.

He had never felt so alive.

His speed and strength outmatched the defending wolves, and soon, none remained.

None except the children, mothers, and elderly.

Shadow frowned as he stared into the cave.

The sun shined brightly outside, making the huge puddles of blood reflect its light.

_"I can't kill them...them...they're children..."_

_"But you will..."_

Shadow flinched, forgetting, even for a moment, that the darkness was always with him, even in his thoughts...

_"Please...there has to be another way," _Shadow pleaded.

_"There is no other way...you must do as you promised...to reap the souls of the living, their age or physical condition is not a factor in that equation,"_

Shadow stared at the two bloody sythes protruding from his left and right paw. At first it had been hard to walk, their length getting in the way of his every step. He had also nearly cut his head off a few times, trying to reach an itch on his back, he had quickly soaked his left paw in saliva and rubbed it across the wound to stop the bleeding.

Swallowing his disgust, Shadow gazed up at the crying children and pleading mothers, the elderly waiting quietly, their eyes cursing him.

_"As you command...master,"_

All joy ran from heart as he prepared to leap.

"I'm sorry..." he whispered, before leaping into the crowd with a snarl, splattering the cave floor in blood.

* * *

><p>Kate lightly brushed Humphrey's forehead with the back of her paw.<p>

They had run for miles, passing rivers and lakes.

They had just passed a very large tree when Faith collapsed.

"Damnit...Daren...we...can't...run...forever..." She had gasped, trying to catch her breath.

Daren frowned "You may have a moments reprive, but I will remind you that Humphrey's condition worsens and we are still more then a weeks trip away from my homelands and the Valley of Light."

Kate sat thankfully. She had refused to say something, but her bones ached and her heart slammed against her chest.

She could see similar effects being inflicted upon Flare, his body sweating badly.

"I will find us something to eat," Daren had said, before she swung Humphrey from her shoulder and placed him on the ground softley.

Faith nodded "Try to find something big, I'm starving,"

"I wouldn't mind a bite to eat either," Flare had agreed.

Kate had ran to Humphrey's side the second Daren dissapered into the woods, leaving the four wolves alone in unknown territory.

"How are you doing?" Kate asked, nudging Humphrey softley.

Humphrey coughed "I've felt better, my legs kind of hurt,"

"Yea because you've been doing ssoo much running," Faith barked at him, an aggitated look on her face.

"Hun...Daren said that he would start feeling achy..." Flare said with a small frown.

"Well you can tell 'Daren' that my stomach is feeling achy, and so are my feet, I think I stepped on a thorn a few miles back,"

"Count yourself lucky, I stepped in something awful a little while ago, and I can't get the smell out," Flare said with a frown.

"No wonder you smell like shi..."

Humphrey interrupted their conversation with a violent rack of coughing.

"Ow,"

Kate looked down at her mate in sadness.

The entire trip had been misery. Daren didn't seem to confident that they would reach this 'Valley of Light' before the poison reached Humphrey's heart. Although her body throbbed in pain, stopping for food was its own form of pain, the agony of knowing that, while they rested and ate, her mate suffered in pain.

"Don't worry Kate...we're going to reach the valley and get the cure, I'll be fine," Humphrey said with a weak smile.

"You're right," She said with a smile, before giving him a quick kiss on the lips. There was no point in being negative at a time like this.

Kate snapped out of her worrying haze and stared over at Flare, who was trying extremely hard to pull a thorn out of Faith's paw without being slashed at.

"You have to pull it out!" Flare shouted.

"Yea and you have to take a bath smelly ass!" She rebounded, trying to wrench her paw away from Flare.

"Aw would you just sit still, it's just a thorn, stop being such a baby," Flare said.

Faith stopped moving and looked at Flare with fire in her eyes. "You're right," she said, before reaching over with her free paw, and tearing the eight inched spike of wood from her paw.

Flare's eyes widened.

Faith smiled sweetly, "Now...we compare how I acted, to how your going to act,"

Flare jolted away from Faith in horror as she place the long spike in her mouth and charged after him.

"GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU'RE CRAZY!" He screamed.

"O WHAT'S WRONG, IT'S JUST A THORN BABE, JUST A FREAKING THORN!"

"OK I WAS WRONG, THAT'S NOT A THORN, IT'S NOT A THORN!" Flare screamed, darting through trees in a frantic haste.

Kate swung her head down to her mate, surprised to see him laughing.

"RUN FLARE!" Humphrey said, in the loudest voice he could muster.

Kate laughed with him "GET HIM FAITH!"

Flare stopped suddenly, staring at Daren's cool and frustrated face.

Faith jumped out from behind a tree to Flare's left, sinking the long stick of wood through his paw "AHA!" She shouted in triumph.

"AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH," Flare screamed in pain, holding his paw gingerly.

"Darkness give me strength," Daren muttered to herself before dragging the large dear in front of Humphrey.

Faith's jaw dropped at the sight of the deer "Thank god, thank you Daren, I'm starving!"

"I'M IN PAIN!" Flare screamed from the background, still holding his impaled paw.

"Shut up, no one cares," Faith said, before walking over to the deer and taking a hungry bite.

Daren rolled her eyes, "Eat Humphrey, you will need your strength, Kate, I want you to eat as well. You look like you're about to pass out. Faith, I would tell you to eat as well, but it seems you have beaten me to that,"

"Mmhmm," Faith nodded, a large chunk of meat in her mouth, her lips glazed in blood.

"PPPPAAAIINNN!" Flare shouted once again from the background.

Humphrey snickered before weakly standing up, and taking a small bite out of the deer.

"Come here Flare..." Daren said with a bored tone.

Flare limped over to Daren "Don't pull it out, it hurts to much,"

"Of course not," Daren said with a smile..."QUICK, FLARE LOOK, A SOUTHERN WOLF TO YOUR LEFT!"

Flare jumped, turning his head to the left and scanning the woods for an enemy while Daren quickly pulled the long thorn from Flare's paw, placing her paw quickly to his chest and taking a deep breath, the small puncture wound evaporated from Flare's paw, and appeared on Daren's.

Flare yelped, but then noticed the thorn and its wound were gone and sighed thankfully.

Daren shook her paw gently "Ow..." She said, before giving it a quick lick, smiling as the wound healed itself.

Kate eyed her suspicously "How do you do that Daren,"

Daren smiled, and took a seat across from her as Flare, Faith and Humphrey ate the deer.

"I was taught how, many, many years ago,"

"How old **are** you Daren?"

Daren flashed her white teeth "I don't think I should tell you that,"

"Why not?"

"It tends to...disturb...some people,"

"I won't freak out Daren, I promse," Kate said with a giggle.

Daren sighed before leaning in close and whispering to her "I could have known your great, great, grandmother's mother as a child,"

Kate flinched, she had known Daren was older then she looked, but never expected her to be that old.

Kate stared at Daren in shock. Her beautiful, shining black and silver coat, her amazingly white teeth, her slender body and her curved hips.

_She looks as if she's my age,_ Kate thought.

"No Kate...I look younger," Daren said with a smile, before getting up and lying down in the shade of a tree.

"How did you do that..." Kate asked in shock. "How do you do all of it, heal yourself, take other's injuries, remain young when you could be more then one hundred!"

Flare nearly choked on his food "One hundred? She's more then one hundred?"

Faith gazed at Flare cooley "Why do _you _care how old she is?"

Flare blushed "No reason dear,"

"Keep it that way," She said before turning, and with a flick of her tail, walked into the shade near Daren, laid down, and closed her eyes.

Daren grinned "I'll tell you everthing, I promise. But not now. Now, I want you all to rest, we leave at dawn.

Kate looked up, surprised to see the sky a dull orange.

Meaning to say more, Kate frowned as she looked at Daren, who appeared to be sleeping.

Flare had taken a seat next to Faith and was licking her gently.

Kate and Humphrey smiled at one another, before locking in a long, hungry kiss, their tongues colliding in eachothers mouth.

"Have sweet dreams Humphrey," Kate said, cuddling close to him.

"You kidding me? After that kiss, how could I not,"

Kate smiled as he lied down next to her, _maybe everything would be ok..._

* * *

><p>Lily leaned up against Garth's side with a frown.<p>

They were in Winston's den, sitting in silence.

Winston cleared his throat "You will be missed, old friend,"

Eve nodded in agreement, a tear sliding down her cheek.

Tony had died in battle, fighting bravely, when a stray claw had caught him in the throat.

The funeral had been a sad little thing, most not being able to attend due to their wounds.

They had buried him at dawn, the sun acting like a beacon, drawing his soul away from his body, and into the fading light.

Few words had been said. Not even Garth had spoken, being to struck by grief to find the words.

"What do we do now..." Lily asked, breaking the silence like a bullet through glass.

"Now...we prepare," Winston said quietly.

"Prepare for what?" Lily asked.

"For the next attack...Lily my dear, this war has just begun." Her mother said in a sad voice.

"The girl Daren was right, they won't stop until we're all dead..." Winston said with sadness. "That's why...we need allies..."

Lily tilted her head "Who can we gain as allies dad? Who would want to get involved in all the chaos?"

"There is only one pack that has the power to make a difference in this war," Winston sighed.

"The North," Garth said, before Lily could ask.

"The North?" The answer struck her as crazy. The North and the Eastern and Western packs had barely communicated at all. It was said they were cold heartless wolves who sacraficed their young to the savage winter storms. Yet again...Snow didn't seem cruel, and she hadn't sacraficed any of her children yet.

As If speaking her name summoned her, Snow stepped into the cave and took a seat next to Winston.

"The trail that leads North is dangerous, there are things other then the cold that can kill you along the way," Snow said in a small voice.

"That's why were sending you Snow, you know the trails well, and will be able to get Garth there in one peice." Winston insisted.

Lily's heart stopped..._They were sending Garth..._

Garth nodded in agreement to Winston's statement before looking at Lily.

The sky was darkening outside, night would soon be upon them.

"Lily...I have agreed to be our ambassador, the North has to know that we need help, and someone has to convince them to send us men... As the new leader of the pack, it's my responsibility."

Lily nodded, "Thats fine, you can explain the rest to me on our way their. I understand that you have to do this, but you have to understand that I **have** to come with you, It's my responsibility as your mate, so don't bother telling me no."

Garth looked at her sadly, before pulling her close. "I understand Lily, I'm happy that you'll be with me."

Eve looked outraged "Lily you can't go North! The road is to dangerous, I forbid it. Winston dear, back me up on this,"

Eve looked at Winston hopefully.

Winston looked at Eve and frowned "Dear...it is her choice to make."

Eve gaped before swallowing her fear and turning to look at Garth "You bring her back to me Garth, or I'll turn you inside out."

Garth nodded, standing up with Lily at his side.

Snow stood as well and walked to the entrance of the den "Watch my kids carefully Eve, especially Stormy...she likes to get into trouble."

Eve shook her head "They are safe with me my dear."

Snow smiled "Then we should get going, the North waits for no one, and truly is, in every sense of the word, the sadist."

**Well, there it is, the first chapter of the sequel to "For the Blood of the South". I hope you all enjoyed it, have a good night.**

**~Bravobravo**


	2. Doggy Days

**Just informing all of you, that chapters will be from the perspective of more then one person. The perspectives I plan to write from are, Kate, Humphrey, Stormy, Lily, Daren, and Shadow, possibly more, not sure though. Also, a warning to those of you who read T for a reason, there WILL be upcoming lemons, so try not get to to attached to the story eh? Enjoy the chapter.**

**Chapter 2: Doggy Days**

Stormy stared at the blue sky with an upset glare.

_"Everyone is gone, uncle Humphrey and aunt Kate...even mom is gone." _She thought with sadness.

The pups had not taken the news of their mother's departure well. Stormy had latched onto her mother's leg, crying. Crystal had curled into a small ball of white fur while Glacier tried to hold back the tears. Haze had looked distraught before running from the den, tears soaking his black fur.

_She left only_ last night...yet it feels like she's been gone for years... Stormy thought with sorrow.

The four wolf pups sat a couple feet away from the entrance to Winston's den, the long slope leading to the den itself seemed to snake itself up the face of the cliff in which it was connected to. The sun shined brightly overhead, yet a sharp chill lingered in the air, a sign that only meant fall was coming to an end.

"How could she do this to us!" Haze asked angrily, pacing back and forth.

"I don't think she had a choice..." Glacier responded sadly.

Crystal spoke before Haze could respond "The real question is how she could leave us with the monster they call Eve," Crystal said cooly.

"Hey comon guys...Eve isn't **that **bad. Sure she can be scary sometimes...and likes to threaten people...but I don't think she's a monster..." Stormy said smoothly.

"No one asked for your input granite," Haze said with a glare that was colder then the air.

"MY FUR DOESN'T LOOK LIKE GRANITE HAZE!" Stormy shouted, furiously.

"Does to," Haze said with an evil grin "It looks like to rolled around in it,"

"Well I'd rather roll in granite then be known as Haze the pervert!" Stormy shot back.

"What do you mean by that!"

Crystal giggled "Oh paleeaassee, everyone has seen you eyeing down the female alphas butts,"

"I HAVE NOT!" Haze shouted with a deep blush. "YOU BETTER SHUT UP STORMY!"

"MAKE ME YOU PERVERT!" Stormy replied, jumping to her feat with a growl as Glacier sighed.

Haze was bigger then her, and a much better fighter, that had been noticed when Glacier and Haze wrestled... but she was faster.

Haze stood up and snarled, the blush still heavy in his face.

"You two are so immature...but...kick his butt Stormy!" Crystal shouted with a smile.

Haze looked at Glacier with curiosity.

"You know where I stand dude, I'm rooting for you. Besides, they don't know what it's like when Crystals little mama sita walks by, it's impossible not to look," Glacier said with a sinful look.

"HER NAME IS ANA, NOT MAMA SITA," Crystal shouted, now on her feet as well.

Glacier shrugged while Haze laughed "I don't care what her name is...I'd hit that,"

Haze and Glacier gave eachother a high five before bursting into gut busting laughter as Crytsal let out a shriek.

Stormy watched in amuzement as her sister, who, most of the time, thought she was to good to fight, charged at a laughing Glacier.

Haze exploded into further laughter as Crystal slammed into Glacier, quickly pinning him to the ground, all the while telling him how gross he was and how he bettert take it back.

Stormy saw her opening and charged, crashing into Haze's muscular frame a few seconds later.

Haze let out a small "oof" before tumbling to the ground.

"You little sneak!" He shouted as he stood up.

Glacier and Crytal were now rolling over one another, shouting insults.

Stormy flinched as Haze charged at her, reaching her before she could turn and run.

She hit the ground with a small thud as Haze stood over her.

Stormy almost threw up when her brother opened his mouth and began to release a long stream of spit, aimed at her face.

"EEEEWWWW," Crystal screamed as she noticed what Haze was doing, Stormy smiled when she saw her sitting on Glacier's chest.

Stormy tried to wiggle free, but with no hope.

Seeing it as her last hope, Stormy kicked Haze right in between the legs before the spit could reach her.

Stormy heard Glacier let out a sympathetic "ouch" as Haze crushed into the ground behind her, tears in his eyes, his paws between his legs.

Crystal giggled as Haze whimperd on the ground.

"Maybe that wil stop him from sneaking down to the watering hole while the girls wash themselves," Crystal said with a smile.

"Glacier ges with him, maybe we should kick him there to," Stormy said with a dark laugh.

Glacier froze, before trying extremely hard to be free of his sisters grasp.

Stormy was about to take a seat next to her sister when she noticed that Haze was still on the ground.

"I didn't kick him that hard..." Stormy said, starting to feel guilty.

"You don't have to kick guys hard down there for it to hurt," Crystal said, licking her gently as Glacier continued to try to wiggle free beneath her.

"Why?" Asked Stormy "What do guys have down there anyway?"

Crystal stopped licking her paw and gazed at her sister, dumbstruck.

"You mean you don't know?" She asked.

Stormy shook her head.

She didn't think about boys as much as her sister and her friends did. She was more interested in fighting, and the war.

Crystal giggled "Well...mom will tell you when she gets back,"

Stormy pouted "O comon sis, can't you tell me? Pretty please?"

Crystal seemed to think about it for a short second before slowly nodding her head "Fine..."

Crystal stood up, releasing Glacier from his prison, and walked over to her sister.

Glacier stood up and was quickly at his brothers side.

Stormy thought about it was her sister got close.

_Why is it such a secret? Doesn't everyone have the same thing? What if guys don't have ANYTHING down there...that would be awful!_

Her sister took a seat real close to her and smiled before leaning in close and whispering the truth in Stormy's ear.

"WWWHHHAAATTT!" Stormy shouted, standing up quickly as her sister giggled.

"It's true sis, haven't you ever noticed how Glacier and Haze don't stand up right after they wake up? It's because..."

Stormy listened in horror as her sister whispered yet another disturbing fact into her ear.

"EEEWWWW," Stormy screamed.

Crystal started laughing.

Stormy froze... "Does that mean I kicked _**it**_?"

Crystal laughed even harder as she nodded slowly.

Stormy started to drag the paw she had used to kick Haze with in the dirt, when Glacier came running over.

"What is it?" Stormy asked, right before she smelt something... something that smelled like copper...

Glacier was whiter then his fur.

"Do any of you smell blood," Crystal asked as she sniffed at the air.

Glacier looked frozen in fear, tears brimming at his eyes.

"What's wrong Glacier!" Crystal and Stormy shouted as they began to grow more and more nervous, the scent of blood growing stronger.

"Haze...Haze is...he's..." Glacier said faintly.

Crystal and Stormy shared one breif glance at one another before running over to where their brother lay.

Crystal got there first and screamed.

Stormy's heart pounded against her chest as she reached her brother, the scent of blood now overwhelming.

Stormy gasped as she gazed down at her crying brother.

A long, deep, jagged cut ran down the length of his stomach, soaking his black fur in deep crimson.

Stormy spotted a sharp sturdy stone a foot away from her brother's stomach, its tip covered in red.

"Oh my god...oh my god...Haze! Haze!" Stormy shouted, trying to her her brother to say something by nudging him.

Her brother only cried, the blood continuing to run from his stomach.

Crystal was crying, Glacier still stood where Stormy and Crystal had been, unmoving.

Stormy's body seemed to fail her...all she could do was stare as he brother slowly bled, the pool of blood growing bigger.

Reality snapped like a whip inside Stormy's head.

"Stay with him Crystal, I'll be right back!" She shouted as she ran toward the steep slope.

"EVE! EEVVE! EVE PLEASE!" She screamed as she reached the top of the slope, bursting into the cool den.

Her heart sang as she saw Eve talking to one of her friends.

"...and that's why..." Eve stopped in the middle of her sentance as she noticed a panting, white faced Stormy at the den entrance.

"Stormy dear, is there something wrong? You look as if you've seen a ghost...Why do you smell like blood?" Eve questioned in a tone that grew with anxiety.

She had tried to be brave, but it was to much, Stormy broke down in a shower of tears and panic.

"Ha-Haze and I w-were w-w-wrestling and I k-kick-kicked him in-in b- in between the l-legs...and Eve he landed on a sto-stone! Th-there's bl-blood ev-every-everywhere!" Stormy finished in between heavy sobs.

Eve was up in a flash, running down the slope faster then Stormy thought possible for a wolf her age.

Stormy followed the best she could, leaving the confused friend in the cave, her mouth agape.

By the time she reached the bottom, Eve was standing over a screaming Haze, shouting for someone named Helen in a shrill voice.

Not more then a minute later, an elderly looking wolf was running into view.

"What is it Eve...I can't run like this at my ag..." The elderly wolf stopped as she noticed Eve picking up a screaming pup, his blood running down Eve's side.

"To my den, hurry!" Helen ordered, turning and running in the direction she had just come from.

The three pups huddled close and cried, the scent of blood lingering in the air.

It felt like forever when finally Winston came into view, he swooped down on the three pups and held them tighly.

"Ssshh, don't cry now, everything will be ok, I promise," He said in a soothing voice.

Stormy put her face against Winston's warm chest and cried. Cold and afraid, with the scent of blood coating the air, Stormy could do nothing more then wish she was with her mother.

* * *

><p>Lily breathed heavily as they came to a stop at a twisted looking tree.<p>

The sun was beggining to set, and the bitter cold that was the North began to rise.

They had been traveling North for only a day, and already Lily had noticed the difference in warmth between home and here. The sky was always a flakey kind of light grey, and mountains could be seen in the distance, growing in size the longer the traveled.

"Why are we stopping?" Garth asked in a monotone.

Garth had been quiet and sad ever since his father died, and it only seemed that spending "alone" time with Lily was the cure to his depression.

Snow shook her head "Nothing...it's just that, something doesn't feel right. I have the same feeling I get when something bad happens to the kids...maybe I'm just over reacting..."

Lily had noticed how Snow got when she was away from her children, she got quiet, and repeatedly asked Lily if she thought the kids were ok.

Whenever Lily confronted her about her anxiousness, she had simply said that she missed her pups, and that it was dangerous for her to be traveling home after what had happened in her past.

"I'm sure they're fine Snow," Lily said with a smile that melted the freezing air.

Snow smiled "I'm sure you're right Lily, I just can't help myself sometimes. I have never been away from them this long..."

Garth put his paw on Snow's shoulder and shocked Lily with a smile.

"Snow, I'm sure your kids are alright, Eve is watching them, they would be lucky if they got to bathe alone,"

Snow laughed, a clear, and beautiful sound. "I suppose you are right Garth, we should get going, the mountains are still a good three days away."

Garth nodded and gave Lily a qucik smile.

"You're not sad anymore?" Lily asked carefully as they began to run.

Garth frowned "I'm still upset Lily...my father is dead...I loved him...but...being with you makes the pain go away..."

Lily smiled "Well maybe we can turn that pain into pleasure later on tonight,"

Garth grinned, the sight of it warming Lily's heart.

"I'd like that Lily,"

"I'm sure you would," Lily replied with a seductive grin as they continued to run through the woods.

The mountains loomed omniously in the distance and sent a shiver through Lily's spine.

Kate had mentioned a mountain when she explained how Humphrey and her had made it back from Idaho. She had said it had been crawling with bears...

When Lily had asked Snow if there were any bears in these mountains, she had replied curtly and avoided her eye.

_"Lily my dear, there are things worse the bears lurking in the mountains of the North."_

**Well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, have a good night everyone.**

**~Bravo**


	3. Talent

**Okay, there are a few things I need to make clear to all of you. The wolf pups, (Stormy and friends) are more then five months of age, (there was a month time gap in the last story) Wolves, can mate at around seven or eight months of age, that explains the boys being horny little tads. The second thing is, when you guys review, I love it when you say "great story bravo it was off the sizzle!" That's great that you like it, but I need to know why. Did it make you sad, angry, scared, confused, why? You need to give me a wee bit more when you review, did I do a bad job, or did I do a good job, again, why? Don't be afraid to be blatantly honest with me, so far, the only one who has been this way, is my dear old friend Roxas. This folks, is why I treat him like a brother, because he is honest with me, even if he thinks the review is harsh he will still post it. If you liked it, thats great, and I'm glad you did, but for the love of god tell me why. Sorry, I rambled, enjoy the chapter.**

**Chapter 3: Talent**

Stormy and her siblings had waited, teary eyed, just outside Helen's den throughout the night. The screams of pure agony had pierced the night sky from inside the den, the wails only stopping long enough to be replaced with intense sobbing, and weak pleading for the pain to stop.

Glacier's bravery had died along with Stormy's and now he lay, on the cold ground, the screams filling the air around him as he begged for his brother to be ok.

Once, when both Eve and Helen had come rushing from the den in search for more supplies, Stormy, Glacier and Crystal had run into the den in search for their brother.

They had found him easily, his sobs leading the way through the dark cave.

Stormy had walked up to him quickly, and embraced him gently. "Th-this is a-all my f-fault," She had cried to him.

Haze had only returned her embrace tightly "I w-want m-mom b-back," he had said between pained gasps.

"Ssshh it's okay, she'll be back soon, I promise," Stormy had said teary eyed. It felt right to hold him as he cried, after all, he was her younger brother, even if only by a few minutes.

Crystal had stroked his back, singing an old lulluby their mother had once sung to them, her breath taking voice echoing throughout the den sadly, while Glacier had nudged him softly.

Soon, Eve and Helen were back, rushing the young pups outside. Despite the multiple offers, the pups refused to leave the den.

Stormy sniffled, breaking the eerie silence.

The sun was beggining to rise as the wind carrying fresh fallen leaves on its wings. The air rang with the crisp, cold bite that only Fall could offer.

"I'm scared..." Glacier said, a single tear sliding down his snow white fur.

Stormy nodded "When...when were in there...I didn't smell or see any new...blood,"

"Maybe that means he's getting better," Crystal replied with false hope.

"I hope so," Stormy stated.

Haze had always been the strong one, the brave one, and now...to see him so weak and afraid...it scared his siblings more then any of the blood or screams.

Glacier opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by the sound of paws shuffling across the ground.

Stormy's heart soared when she saw her brother, staggering between Helen and Eve.

Haze coughed violently "Eve... I'm so dizzy... I just want to sleep,"

Eve frowned as they continued to exit the den. Stormy noticed how both Eve and Helen's fur was cracked with dry blood.

"Haze dear... your cut is infected and we need to clean it thoroughly... besides, I believe some fresh air would do you good," Eve had replied sweetly.

Haze nodded unhappily before gazing up to the den entrance, the ghost of a smile on his lips when he noticed his brother and sisters waiting for him.

"Hey guys," he said in a raspy, tired voice.

"You're...ok..." Glacier said with astonishment on his face.

Stormy rushed forward, and, ignoring Eve's warnings for her to stay away, hugged her coughing brother tightly and cried. She had been brave for as long as she could, now that Haze was back on his feet, she could hand that responsibility back to him.

"I'm sorry Haze! I'm so sorry! It's all my fault, it should have been me who got hurt, not you. I hope you can forgive me, I love you and I'm so sorry!" Stormy sobbed.

Haze heasitated, before he broke down as well, returning his sister's hug as they both cried.

"It's my f-fault I sh-shouldn't h-have ca-called you gr-granite," he cried.

The two wolves continued to hold each other and cry, both taking the blame for what had happened.

As she embraced her brother, Stormy noticed something...disturbing...

"Haze...you're burning up," She said with shock.

Helen quickly put a paw to Haze's forehead and frowned "That's enough children for now children, your brother needs to go to the watering hole, you may come along if you'd wish, Stormy, I think I want you to come, you need a bath very bad," Helen explained.

Stormy nodded in agreement, she hated baths, but if it meant being able to spend time with Haze, she was all for it.

The walk down to the Alpha watering hole was slow, no one spoke, and the only noises in the world were distant wolves, the chirping of birds, and Haze's loud, consistent cough.

When they reached the watering hole, Haze and Stormy were forced into the freezing water.

Stormy watched her brother as she cleaned herself.

He looked miserable.

When it was time for the cut to be cleaned, Stormy had to walk away.

The wound was deep and jagged, running almost from his chest, to his lower stomach. The cut itself was an omnious back, and any disturbance to it caused Haze a great deal of mind numbing pain. His small whimpers tearing at her heart.

After what seemed to be hours of whimpering, Helen applied a thick paste to the wound and smiled.

"This should ease some of the pain, and help the wound stay clean," Helen said with a look of pride etched on her face.

Haze nodded, and slowly, walked over to the still lake, and drank eagerley.

Stormy smiled as she walked over to Glacier and Crystal, their snow white fur sticking out in the multi colored trees.

Glacier seemed a great deal happier, as did Crystal.

"I'm glad he's okay," Stormy said with a grin.

"I am to, for a second there, I thought we might lose him, he stomach was a few inches away from butchered as well," Helen said with a smile. Her old face looked more exhausted up close.

Eve followed behind Helen, her eyes revealing extreme relief.

"Is he sick?" Crystal asked with a suspicous lift of her eye brows.

"Don't worry Crystal, he should be back to his normal self in a week or two," Eve answered, somewhat ignoring the question.

"Now...Helen and I need to have a talk with all of you. Especially you Stormy, you could have seriously hurt him when you kicked him down there. What would your mother say?" Eve questioned.

Stormy hung her head in shame "I didn't know... I'm sorry..."

Helen cleared her throat "Yes, well I think it's time you learned, so something like this doesn't happen again. You pups are what? Five months now?"

"Almost six!" The three pups declared hotly.

Helen smiled, her face exposing a multitude of lines.

"Yes, will I don't know if you have noticed, but you are all getting very big."

Glacier snorted as Crystal rolled her eyes.

Stormy **had **noticed changes in her body, and in her siblings. Her length grew everyday, her hips had begun to curve, and her chest had started to perk. The same had happened to Crystal, only the process had happened much faster, and had gone much further. Her white hair fell down to her slender shoulders, supported by her slim, but fit figure. Her hips were curved like a womens, and her chest perked out much more then Stormy's. She had been mistaken for a grown women a multiple of times, when Stormy never passed for more then an adolescent.

Glacier's and Haze's changes had been more suddle. They were about the same length as the girls, yet their bodies had begun to form muscle along their shoulders, legs, and chest.

"We know that Helen," Stormy said with a giggle.

Helen grinned "I'm sure you do, but their are other things we need to discuss, things that you **do not** know about yet. It is something I was hoping your mother would tell you, but, seeing that she won't be back for quite a while, the responsibility has been left to Eve and I. Winston will talk to Glacier and Haze, and Eve and I will talk with you two."

Before Stormy could ask what she meant, there was a soft groan from the watering hole.

The five wolves turned to see Haze passed out in the dirt, his vommit a few feet from his head.

Before Stormy had time to even react, Crystal was screaming, pointing at the lake.

What Stormy saw, nearly caused her to pass out as well. A grey wolf lay face down in the dirt a few feet away from the out cold Haze.

The lower part of his body still floated in he lake, his head and chest rested in the dirt, the blood the gushed out of the multiple wounds on his chest and head formed their own kind of mud.

Stormy had almost been able to contain her scream of horror, until the seemingly dead wolf, opened his eyes.

* * *

><p>Shadow ran as fast as his powerful legs would carry him.<p>

Behind him, the entire force of an angry pack growled for his blood.

Shadow had almost gotten off easy, dispatching the pack leader with the simple flick of his wrist.

He had leapt from the den only to find himself face to face with the leader's mate.

She had let out a long, shrill scream before he could silence her, but it was enough. Within seconds the entire pack was on his trail, hungry for revenge.

Shadow may have been able to kill a good majority of them, but knew without a doubt that the pack would overcome and kill him.

_"Run for the shadows..."_ The darkness urged.

Shadow didn't know what it meant, and everytime he asked, he was rewarded with silence.

While he was to caught up thinking about the blood thirsty pack of wolves behind him, he didn't notice the large tree branch his long claw snagged on.

Shadow cursed his luck as he fell, his face aimed directly toward the ground in front of him, it's surface cloaked in the long shade of a nearby tree.

As he braced himself for the impact, something odd happened...

He seemed to have fallen _through _the ground.

Shadow was lost in a world of confusion, beneath him, there was nothing, yet he stood on it as if it were the crust of the earth.

Above him, he seemed to be looking through a vail of water, on the other side, the paws of an enemy wolf stood right atop where he was standing, the veil of water supporting his weight.

It was then that the truth hit him, Shadow had stepped through the shade of the tree, and into this strange dimension. The veil of water was the ground...the ground where the enemy stood, confused to where their foe had gone.

_"This is my talent..."_ Shadow realized with sudden joy.

Shadow gazed up at the enemy wolves above him, little did they know they were closer then they could ever be to finding and killing their target.

_"Maybe...just maybe I could reach up...and..."_

* * *

><p>The outraged wolf gazed around at the trees, one minute the monsters scent had been strong. The next...it was gone.<p>

The sun was setting above the trees, giving everything it touched a second image. A shadow.

The wolf felt a sudden chill in the air and looked around suspicously.

His fellow Alphas stood close to him, barking orders.

A faint movement caught the wolfs eye, following it, he found himself staring at the shadow of the wolf to his right, his close friend.

The wolf's friend at his right was still, yet his shadow was...moving.

The wolf watched in horror as the shadow self of his friend raised one, un matching claw to his throat and pulled it acorss with a sudden pull.

The shadow of his friend vanished, seemingly evaporating into the ground...and then the scent of blood hit his nose.

His friend lay on the ground, blood pouring from his slit throat in dull throbs.

The wolf watched in utter fear as wolves began to drop dead around him, blood surging from the open wounds in their necks.

The wolf felt a horrible chill creep over his body. Using all the strength he could summon, the wolf looked down at his shadow in fear.

It seemed to be looking back at him.

The wolf screamed as his shadow seemed to smile at him...seconds before he felt an invisible knife rip across his throat...

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It is going to be very hard to explain Shadow's talent, so please stay with me, I hope you get the basics of his ability. I hope you all have a good night.**

**~Bravobravo**


	4. Desperate Measures

**Not get gonna say much, I'm going to try to get two chapters out by tonight. I'm really pushing the rating here, If at all, it would be a inbetween a T and a M. I plan to change the rating, very soon, so, try not to report me until I bump the rating k? Hahaha, enjoy the chapter.**

**Chapter 4: Desperate Measures**

Daren sighed unhappily as the group stopped yet again.

She didn't feel the exhaust that the others, did. The child's condition had been getting worse and worse since day one, and now, he could hardly stand.

He vomited constantly, and was beginning to become delirious.

"_It won't be long until he slips into a coma. Whether or not he wakes up depends on if we reach the valley in time," _she realized sadly.

"My feet hurt," Faith whined.

Daren sighed, the girl never seemed to notice the danger he friend was in, in fact, the girl didn't notice much about anyone but herself. Yet… Daren felt almost as if it was an act, she could feel her thinking late at night, worrying about her friend Humphrey.

_Humphrey…_

The name echoed through her thoughts, and she couldn't decide if she hated the name…or loved it.

He had killed her one and only love, well, the one she had once loved. The one she had severed the ties with her family for, the one she learned to life a new life for, and… the one she gave herself to the Darkness for.

Daren shivered at the thought. She was lucky she was gifted with the talent to block her mind from everything else, sometimes, opening it up just a little bit to peer into someone else's thoughts.

It wasn't something she enjoyed to do, as you never knew what someone may be thinking about.

Yet, she had done it when it seemed necessary, and now, she knew almost everything about the wolves she was traveling with.

She had never enjoyed her talents, her 'telepathic' talent seemed to be more of a curse then a gift, sometimes slipping in her concentration, either seeing the entire depth of a persons, thoughts, likes, dislikes, memories…or… the darkness, always waiting for her to slip, to try to take control.

Daren knew that if it happened too often, she would lose herself to the darkness just like her sweet Darien had…

Daren snapped her attention from the troubling thoughts and focused it back to the four wolves who sat around the very small clearing.

The one named Flare seemed to be arguing with Faith.

Daren caught the faint glimpse thought of a possibility emanating from Faith.

One that involved a big stick, and a lot of hitting…

"_Where does this child's mind go?" _Daren thought with odd curiosity.

Faith was replying with her usual attitude.

While Flare continued to harp on her.

"No, I'm not rubbing your nasty feet!" Flare shouted.

"Comon! They hurt!,"

"No, those things are more lethal then the poison in Humphrey's blood."

As if on cue, Humphrey looked up weakly from where he way lying.

"Who said my name..." He said tiredly.

"No one, go back to sleep Humphrey," Kate said with a lick.

Humphrey nodded aiming to lie back down when, suddenly, he let out a small whimper and collapsed onto the ground.

Daren was making a small estimation in her head about how long they were away, it hadn't been good, maybe another week at the pace they were going at, when she felt something odd.

Daren usually felt someone before they noticed her. It was one of her talents...to 'feel' someone mentally. Almost like being in a room with one hundred bright lights. Yet now... she felt one of her four bright lights growing dimmer and dimmer, until it was almost out.

Then she heard Kate's scream.

Kate was crying hysterically, shaking Humphrey's motionless body over and over again.

Flare looked horrified, and even Faith looked scared.

Daren ran up to Humphrey's side and felt for a pulse...she felt nothing.

Daren's mind went to work at once, and soon came to the conclusion that Humphrey was under going cardiac arrest.

Pushing Kate aside, Daren laid Humphrey on his back and tilted his mouth back before giving him a deep breath. Being careful not to break his ribs, Daren gave him ten compressed presses against his chest, moving his heart for him.

...She did this over and over again while she thought, she could keep him alive through her air and her actions for a while, do to her physical strength...but not forever.

Kate continued to cry, filling the organge sky with her wails.

Daren continued to work, growing more nervous by the minute.

When we had just about to quit, an idea struck her...a very risky idea...

"Kate...I need you to...give him...CPR...for me," Daren said in between breaths/

Kate tried to stop her tears and calm down...but she couldn't. The love of her life was dying in front of her.

"KATE!" Daren screamed.

Flare stepped forward, past Kate and to Humphrey's side, moving Daren away gently as he prepared to continue the CPR.

Daren nodded with approval and placed her right paw on Humphrey's side, while she took a sharp nail from her left paw and placed it just above his chest.

"Darkness please let this work," she muttered to herself.

So many things could go wrong, and Humphrey's time was running out. The adrenaline rush could be to much, or to little. he could bleed to death...she would bleed to death if the first cut wasn't enough, for she would not have time to heal herself.

Taking a deep breath, Daren stuck her nail through his chest, and pulled it down to his stomach, opening the wolf's underbelly.

Kate screamed louder, and for a minute, looked as if she might attack Daren, but then succumbed to her worries and continued to cry, Faith taking a seat behind her and holding her softly.

Daren braced herself as she took in the slash, the bleeding cut began to stitch back together on Humphrey's chest, as it began to tear down her own.

Daren noticed something as her vision blurred. Her light was coming back on. Unfortunetly, her own light was dimming as the blood surged from the deep gash that ran down from her chest to her stomach.

The light continued to grow brighter, until Humphrey opened his eyes with a snap, and a gasp for breath.

Daren smiled faintly before the loss of blood hit her like a bag of bricks.

Was this how she would die? Saving a wolf she barely knew?

She smiled to herself, "_If I am going to lose my life...at least I did it to save someone elses,"_

With that last happy thought rushing through her mind, Daren collapsed, her world growing dark... and died.

* * *

><p>...Or she thought she did.<p>

She opened her eyes to find herself staring into Flare's eyes, her muzzle felt wet.

The red wolf had a goofy grin on his face, his white teeth outlined against his red fur, and the black sky behind him.

"I told you it would work," Flare said, still standing over top of Daren.

Faith looked outraged. "You sick pervert! Her skin crawled back together! Don't think I didn't see that, you just wanted to kiss her! "Oh no she's dying, I have to save her!" Faith mocked in an agitated voice.

Flare looked embarassed "Not entirely true..." he said with a charming smile.

Daren smiled sweetly and lightly pushed Flare away from her.

_"How did my skin crawl back together without my saliva..." _Daren thought uneasily.

"She's like one hundred years old you sick perv!" Faith continued.

"One hundred and nineteen," Daren said with a small grin.

Flare blushed before he shrugged "Well you still look nineteen,"

Daren smiled, it was always nice to be complimented every once in a while.

Before Faith could respond in her white hot anger, Daren's attention drifted from compliments, and her odd healing, and rememberd the wolf she almost died for.

"How is Humphrey," She asked quietly, not sure she wanted to know the answer.

Faith rolled her eyes "The ran off into the woods with Kate after we saw your skin do...that thing it does... What did you do Daren? Suck the poison out of him or something?"

Daren shook her head "No, I only gave him an adrenaline rush to restart it heart...He's lucky it worked, and the poison is still there. The fact that he's walking is odd... the fact that he ran into the woods with Kate after having a heart attack is disturbing, and very ignorant on his part... I hope he's not doing anything to...ugh... 'excite' his heart."

Faith grinned as she took a seat next to Daren, the moon illiminating the world around them in a silver glare.

"Oh comon now Daren, you were young a couple million years ago, you must know what it's like to feel that way. As for Humphrey and his running about, I guess your just a good healer," Faith said with a grin.

Daren shook her head "I'm not quite sure what I did, but it doesn't matter. The symptoms will be back on him by tommorow, if anything I just bought us more time...I don't know how... If he has another heart attack when he's with Kate I hope it was worth it, because I will not be doing it again.

Flare laughed "Aw damn..."

Faith shot him a look of pure anger "I'm going to cut your freaking balls off you horny little grimlin. Now go away and let the girls talk!" She spat.

Flare's face sank, and he seemed to choose his next words carefully "Fine...I'll be quiet...but...I want to stay, I don't want to risk walking in on Humphrey and Kate."

Faith scowled but took her attention away from Flare, wich seemed to relieve him.

She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the sound of giggling.

Daren peered around Faith to see Humphrey and Kate walking side by side in the moon light.

The three wolves watched Humphrey and Kate approach, eyeing them suspicously.

When they were no more then five feet away, Kate took her focus off of Humphrey and looked at Daren, before running at her, and embracing her tightly.

"Thank you so much," she whispered.

"I don't know what you did Daren, but I feel a lot better," Humphrey said with a smile.

Daren frowned "I'm glad you are feeling better Humphrey, but you are not cured, and I don't think you should be, um, utilizing so much of your energy, into things like mating..." She said awkwardly.

Humphrey blushed before he stuttered "We di-didn't mate, we went...ugh...log sledding, yea that's it, we went log sledding."

"BULL!" Faith shouted from the background.

Daren gave Humphrey a look that indicated she was not stupid "Really? Log sledding? Well, from the look, and smell of it, it looks to me like Kate was the one that went log sledding,"

Faith and Flare sparked into an explosion of laughter while Humphrey blushed an intense crimson.

Kate looked at her mate with a smile "I thought we agreed to say that we went for a jog,"

Humphrey smiled cutely "Sorry, besides...Daren is right, log sledding was more realistic,"

Kate giggled as she walked back over to her mate and lied down with him.

Daren had smiled at the couple, before she noticed Flare and Faith trying to sneak away.

"Really, you two are so hypocritical," Daren said with a snicker.

Daren saw faith raise her paw to the sky, the very faint image of her middle finger resting against the night sky.

"That means I love you," Kate said with a chuckle.

Daren smiled, she already knew that, she could feel Faith's thoughts at a distance.

It was many hours until Flare and Faith returned from their little 'jog'.

Daren smiled as she listened to the soft breathing of her new...friends.

_"They are my friends in a way, aren't they?"_ She thought happily before resting her eyes.

The night sky was cloudy and dark, but her four bright lights were all the stars she needed.

* * *

><p>Stormy tossed and turned on the den floor, the sound of her siblings breathing coming in quiet patterns.<p>

Haze was finally allowed to come back to Winston's den, even if Eve watched his every move, and was lying a few feet away from his sister's.

Stormy sighed, she couldn't sleep, not with all that had happened that day. The battered grey wolf had silently walked to Helen's den once she had expected him, fussing about the wound to his head.

She had heard him faintly tell Eve his name before walking away with Helen but she didn't catch it, she thought it had started with an A but wasn't certain.

And then there was Haze's fever, he had been sick all night, and only a few hours ago did he finally fell asleep.

Eve and Helen insisted that it was just his body recovering from the healing wound and dying infection, but Stormy couldn't know for sure, he always looked in pain.

On top of all her other worries, including the not to far away 'talk' that she would be forced to have with Eve and Helen, Stormy had learned that she and her siblings had been selected to enter Alpha school, the thing was, due to the casulties and dangers of war, Alpha school was being held here...within the Western territory.

Pups from the East and West would be a weak attending, each would be grouped and sent off with a teacher.

Eve had even made the final call to enter Haze as well, despite his weak protests.

Alpha school, if you could call it that now, worried Stormy. She worried for her brother, and she worried if she would be good enough, she worried about who her teacher would be, or if the pups she was grouped with would be nice or not. She also worried if she would be to tired to do anything at all, due to the fact that the first class was scheduled, for tommorrow...

Stormy thought about the mysterious grey wolf that washed up along the shore of the watering hole. How he hadn't drowned still amazed her.

Suddenly, as if she had known it all along, Stormy remembered his name.

Putting her worries aside, Stormy smiled to herself and shut her eyes, wishing a goodnight to the identified grey wolf, _"Goodnight, Allen,"_

**Hope you enjoyed that chapter people, I hope you know WHY you enjoyed it if you did, hahaha. I will see if I can get another chapter out tonight, (it's partially done) we will have to see when I get back from the store. Again the rating will be changed very soon, probably next chapter, That doens't mean I'm writing a lemon (YET) but, I believe, and so do some friends, that this story is beggining to surpass the T rating, goodnight everyone.**

**~Bravobravo**


	5. School Sucks

**This is the last chapter before I bump it to M, I have a craving for some good, old fashion lemonade. Anyone hate the annoying "thump" sound your computer makes when you're on Fan fiction? "THUMP AGAIN AND YOU DIE STUPID MACHINE," *Laughs at own joke* Stormypelt, if you're reading this, get your scrawny little butt to your profile page and respond to me women! Haha but for real, I have decided to make your OC (Stormy) an MC, but, if you fall off the face of the earth...something bad just might happen to her...maybe she will fall of a cliff...eaten by hungry bears? Oh! I know! Road house kicked to the head! Nah, I'm just kidding you, get back to me girl. Enjoy the chapter.**

**Chapter 5: School Sucks**

Stormy waited for Orro to lunge for her, driving her foot against the left side of his bright, orange fur when he did.

"Damnit Stormy, you don't have to kick me so hard..." Orro said with a grimace as he stood up from the ground.

"Good job Stormy, Orro, watch your tongue," Winston said sternly.

Stormy smiled proudly, she may have not been the best at river leaping, but she excelled at combat training.

"Who's up next?" Stormy asked, eagerly looking around at the wolves around her.

Four wolves stared at her with unhappy bruised faces.

"No one?" Winston said with a grin.

Orro stepped forward, his beautiful orange fur rippling in the cold, sunny fall day.

"I'll go again," he said with a side glance at Stormy.

"Alright then, you may begin." Winston said with a nod of approval.

Orro didn't give Stormy a chance to prepare this time. Charging at her, his bright orange fur, matching the color of the falling leaves.

Stormy let out a small groan as Orro pinned her to the ground, the crowd muttering to one another, surprised to see Stormy pinned.

Stormy stared up at him as he stared down at her, flashing his brilliant smile.

Her heart seemed to stop beating as the world seemed to slow down.

She stared deeply into his eyes, the maple colored eyes stared back, and for one instant, Stormy wanted to lean forward...and kiss him.

_"What the hell...Why am I thinking that..." _she thought to herself.

"Hey...are you ok?" Orro asked in his rich, silky voice.

Stormy blushed "I...ugh I'm fine, you're just really...beautiful...

_"NNNOO, AAGGHH WHY DID I SAY THAT, UGH I'M SO STUPID," _she screamed at herself.

The surrounding wolves snickered, while some looked upset.

Little did she know, Stormy had the eye of her entire group, wich happened to be all males.

Her different, dusty fur, complimenting her curving hips and slender figure.

Orro seemed to gap... before turning a bright red behind his handsome orange fur. "I ugh, um...think I'm...ugh beautiful to...Wait! No... I mean ugh you...you're the um, the beautiful one..."

Stormy giggled, as the two crushing wolves stared at one another.

Winston cleared his throat loudly, getting the attention of the two wolves.

"Oh...ugh right..." Orro said awkwardly, seeming to hesitate when unpinning Stormy.

"I like you a lot..." he whispered to her quickly before shuffling away awkwardly.

Stormy watched him go with a grin, he was built differently than her brothers, being more skinny then muscular.

Stormy got off the leaf covered ground reluctantly...wanting Orro back over her...

_"What's wrong with me today..."_

Winston smiled at her before turning his attention to the boys, who were whispering and high fiving a blushing Orro.

"Well, you all seem really beat, and you tried hard today, so I will dismiss you early. I hope you all enjoyed your first day of Alpha training, be here tomorrow at dawn." Winston said with a smile, the group of boys cheering as they started to separate.

Stormy sat with a grin on her face as she stared up at the beautiful sky, picking out the orange leaves with glee.

She loved being outside when it was like this.

Someone sat next to her, making her smile.

Who else could it be?

Stormy turned to see Orro staring at her, his eyes eagerly drinking her in.

"Can I help you beautiful?" Stormy asked with a smile.

Orro blushed and looked up at the sky.

"I'm sorry if I hurt your cheek earlier," Stormy said with a grin.

"Oh...ugh my cheek, is um...fine...hey, I ugh, was just wondering...if I could um... ask you something?" Orro asked her, barely fainting from nervousness.

Stormy smiled widely, before shifting a little bit closer to his quick and fluent orange body.

"I was...ugh...just wondering...if maybe...I could...hold your hand?" he finally managed to breathe out.

Stormy giggled, butterflies in her stomach "You move fast don't you?"

Orro looked destroyed "I'm s-so sorry if I...ugh...made you feel uncomfortable..."

Stormy interrupted him with a quick kiss on the cheek before she gently grabbed his paw and held it as she stared back at the sky.

_"What's gotten in to me today...I just met him a few hours ago..."_

Orro looked as if he would melt before he gave her hand a slight squeeze and stared up at the sky, populated with falling leaves, with Stormy.

Stormy felt happy_ "Why was I worrying so much? Today has been the best day of my life."_

Orro awkwardly moved closer to her, their fur coats sticking together like magnets.

_"And it keeps getting better._"

* * *

><p>Haze leapt from the opposing side of the river with a weak thrust of his legs.<p>

Unfortunately, the force of the leap proved to be too little, and with a soft splash, fell into the rushing water.

The wolves were doing an activity called 'River leaping,' a training session that would apparently increase the distance and power of their pounce.

"I guess that's the best we can expect form a bastard," one of the wolves said with a snicker as Haze slowly swam to the shore.

Haze remained silent, from the minute he had arrived at Alpha school, the three wolf pups had pestered and bullied him about being weak, and no amount of trying to explain that he was just feverish would convince them otherwise.

He had wished that he would be taught by Winston, or maybe even Eve. Of course, as if his luck had turned against him, he had been assigned to a flakey Alpha who was to busy talking to a girl on the other side of the river, to notice three of his student's insulting the vulnerable, feversih wolf.

Haze watched his brother leap across the river with ease, his body a white flash. Haze counted himself lucky, at least he had been grouped with his brother.

Each teacher had been assigned five wolves to train. There being only four teachers, Winston, Eve, a wolf named Hutch, and this uncaring dummy who Haze and Glacier had been grouped with, that left a total of twenty young alphas.

"Hey comon guys, leave him alone, he's not feeling well," Glacier said to the three hurtful wolves as he walked up to them.

The one named King smirked before shoving Haze to the ground.

Haze landed with a whimper, not having the strength to stand up and rip King's face off.

Glacier looked as if he was about to scream at King, before the ugly brown wolf stepped forward and slapped him across the face.

Within the second after the slap made contact, King was pinned to the ground, his chest being angrily scratched at by Glacier.

"Get him off me!" King screamed to his two friends.

The two adult sized wolves easily picked Glacier off of King, and held him effortlessly in a locking grasp.

King tried to lick at his wounds as Glacier threw threats at him like knives.

King noticed Haze stand up with difficulty and smiled when he saw the look of sympathey cross Glacier's face.

Seeing his foes weakness, King leapt onto Haze's chest and kicked him as hard as he good in the center of his healing gash.

Haze screamed in unending agony, looking as if he might pass out. Tears speeding down his cheeks as he sobbed.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Glacier screamed, seeming near tears himself.

While King laughed, his paw passed to close to Haze's face, and with an act of defense, Haze bit down with a snap.

King screamed and wrenched his paw free, the puncture wounds bleeding only lightly.

Their teacher rolled his eyes and turned his attention away from the girl in front of him. From where he was standing, twenty feet away on the other side of the river, the young wolves seemed to be playing. The ignorant Alpha shook his head, cursing his luck for being chosen to do the tedious job.

"I hope he broke it," Glacier said spitefully.

"He barely broke the skin..." King said with a frown. "But since you are so eager to see someone in pain..."

King kneed Haze and the stomach before he slapped him across the face.

Haze sobbed harder, before throwing up a mouthful of blood.

"Disgusting," King said as he wore a face thick with repulsion.

Glacier screamed again, making angry threats.

King snickered. "Dillon, Tank, move Glacier to the edge of the river, I want him to have a front row seat,"

Glacier was easily carried away, kicking and fighting all the while.

King slowly dragged the groaning Haze down to the very edge of the moving water with a smile on his face.

"They won't doubt me if I say your pathetic brother tried to leap the river and go caught in the current when he failed, they will think he drowned all on his own." King said darkly.

Sudden, horrible realization spread across Glacier's face as King dunked his brothers head under the water.

"STOP IT! YOU'RE KILLING HIM!" Glacier screamed, the tears finally breaking free.

King only smirked, before raising the choking Haze out of the water just long enough for him to take one sputtering breath, before he pushed him back under.

"PLEASE! I'LL DO ANYTHING! JUST LEAVE MY BROTHER ALONE!" Glacier screamed, as he watched his brother's struggle grow weaker and weaker.

Haze's body screamed for air, the water in his lungs making the situation worse.

He couldn't breathe, and was beggining to lose conciousness, when a strong paw raised him from the water, the previous pressure gone.

"What were you thinking! He would have drowned and you wouldn't have noticed!" A voice echoed around Haze's head.

"I...didn't know...I thought they were just...playing." The voice he recognized as his teacher rang quietly in Haze's ears."

"Get out of here, Winston will hear of this." The stange voice responded.

Haze heard the his teacher say something about the ludicrousness of a loner becoming a lieutenet in one day before walking away.

Haze coughed, blood and water coming up from his lungs.

His vision focusing, Haze realized that the voice he could not identify was the voice of the fit, grey wolf that had washed up on the shore of the lake a few days ago.

Glacier was at his side, asking him questions he could not hear.

"W-where are t-they," Haze coughed.

The grey wolf looked at him and smiled "I gave the one that was drowning you a good kick in the ass."

Haze groaned before he threw up more blood and water to his side.

"He's throwing up so much blood," Glacier said nervously.

"He's fine Glacier, that's just from his fever, he's not dying." The grey wolf responded.

"By the way, my name is Allen, and sorry for scaring you like that a couple days ago Haze," Allen explained.

Haze flinched "How do you know my name?"

"Oh, well funny story really. I was coming here in the first place to replace your last teacher, when I found you trying to drink the river away,"

"He wasn't drinking anything, those wolves were going to kill him, they told me so!" Glacier shouted angrily.

"I know Glacier, calm down." Allen replied with a smile.

"How do you know MY name?" Glacier asked.

"Well, when I was assigned the title of lieutenet, Winston told me all about the interesting things that were happening around here, you and your family just happened to be one of those interesting things."

Haze coughed weakly, he didn't know much about ranking, but he knew one thing for sure. This Allen guy was much more then a normal loner if he had been given a title like that after only being in the packs for no longer then two days.

"I think you should go home Haze, you look very ill," Allen said with worry.

Haze nodded and tried to stand, flushing in embarassment when he stumbled and fell.

"I'll help you then," Allen said with a cheery smile, lifitng Haze easily onto his back and walking towards Winston's den, Glacier right beside him.

Upon reaching the den, Haze had slid from Allen's back.

He had never been more embarassed in his life, riding on Allen's back like a pup through a good portion of the territory.

He noticed Stormy come jogging out of the den, the look on her face telling him that she knew something was wrong.

The sun was beggining to set in the distance, releasing its warm hold on the world to the cold, fall nights.

"Haze...what's wrong? How was your first day?" She asked with an curious expression.

Haze ignored her as he walked into the den, Glacier right behind him, before lying down and closing his eyes, he had looked at his sister with a pained expression and answered her, "School sucks."

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter people, remember, this IS the LAST chapter before I bump up the rating, just letting you know so you don't think I took down the story when I move it. Have a good night everyone.**

**~Bravobravo**


	6. The Birds and the Bees

**Well, It is now an M rated story, hurray! Warning, the following chapter has a lemon...or two...or three...or eight... just kidding haha. Let me first take a few minutes to give credit to the creators of some awsome Ocs in this story, for they created them. I simply wrote them in. Stormypeltsrose for the wolf pup Stormy. Justnick for the mysterious grey wolf, Allen. Soilder for an upcoming character. Rainfire of Riverclan for Ruchira. Also, this story has been bumped to M for a reason. I'm not holding back on language anymore yes, lemons will also be seen. If you don't like this, why are you in the M section? Enjoy the chapter, sorry for the delay, I'm busy on the weekends.**

**Chapter 6: The Birds and the Bees**

Humphrey slowly walked behind his mate, watching her tail swing back and forth after every step with a happy grin.

The sun was a bright orb in the sky. A yellow flame seemingly floating in an ocean of solid blue.

Humphrey felt the familiar spasm in his chest that constantly reminded him that he was not yet cured of Diablo's parting curse.

It felt odd to Humphrey. Before his heart had stopped, he felt as if that any second he would collapse and die on the spot. What was strange was that ever since Daren had brought him back, although he did feel himself growing weaker with every passing day, he had felt one hundred times better, almost like the posion had been slowed by a drastic amount.

Humphrey frowned as he continued to walk behind his mate.

He didn't understand what his opinion on Daren was. She had saved his life a few times now, and she was always nice to Humphrey, even carrying him on her back until now. It was just that... she did things that resembled Diablo sometimes... talking about the 'darkness', her skin seemed so attracted to itself that whenever it was cut, it crawled back together, she was extremely old, yet she looked as if she was in her prime.

Humphrey let out a small "oof" as he crashed into Kate's rear, to absorbed in his thoughts, and what he was staring at, to notice that the group had stopped.

"Humphrey!" Kate said with a giggle when she realized what he had been so caught up in.

"Sorry," Humphrey said with a blush.

"Don't be," She said with a sly smile.

"You see? That's what you're suppose to do Flare, stare at MY butt, and flirt with me. But nnnooo, you're too interested in giving grandma compliments to notice that I have been swinging my hips with extra sway the entire way here!" Faith said hotly, her dark blue fur drinking in the sun's light.

Flare sighed, as did Daren.

"Faith, my name is not 'grandma' it's Daren," Daren reminded her for the hundreth time.

"Well Flare is my mate, not yours!" She said immaturely, sticking out her tongue at Daren with an angry frown.

"Well, he isn't sleeping with ME. So how does that make him MY mate? He seems completely content with you beside him at night. Besides, if you could hear what I do coming from his head, you would never second guess your relationship." Daren looked at Flare with a small grin "While we are on the subject, can you try to think a little quieter? Especially when all you think about is sex."

The four wolves shuffled uneasily, they had decided, while Daren was away either to hunt or scout, that besides her unatural talent to heal herself, and in a way, others, she also always seemed to know what you were thinking.

Flare blushed an amazing red, visible even through his crimson fur.

Faith looked shocked "Really?"

Flare blushed more intensly "Of course Faith you're my mate and I love you."

Faith squealed before knocking Flare to the ground, eagerly kissing his face.

Humphrey smiled as he heard Daren mutter something along the lines of stooping to their level of immaturity.

Kate smiled and gave Humphrey a kiss of his own.

Humphrey's heart accelerated as their muzzles collided.

"...Yes, well now that everyone has had their kiss, can we get going? Humphrey, you are not healed, and your life is still at serious risk." Daren said with a hint of impatience.

Faith gave her mate one last seductive lick across the cheek before getting off of him.

Kate also finished her passionate kiss with a slow withdrawl of the tongue and a wink.

Humphrey smiled stupidly.

Daren shook her head before turning and continuing to walk through the thick woods.

"I still hold firm to the belief that you four are much to young to be mating, and it surprises me that neither of you have become pregnant yet. In fact, it's actually slightly worrying." Daren said as she continued to walk, the four young wolves following behind her, close to his or her mate.

Humphrey frowned. He had thought of that, and they had mated quite a few times, yet Kate never seemed to become pregnant.

_"Is their something wrong with me?" _He thought with dread.

He didn't think he was ready to be a dad, but still, Daren had a point...

Daren stopped walking and breathed in the air deeply, her black fur looking a deep, dark purple in the sun.

"What's wrong?" Flare asked, suddenly alert.

"...I smell my people. But I don't understand...why are they this far away from the Shadowlands? I even took us through an alternate path to avoid them."

Why can't you take us there, and then to the Valley of the Light," Humphrey asked with a cock of his head.

Daren laughed "You would be killed, and I most likely, would be punished severly for helping you."

"They woundn't kill you?" Humphrey asked.

Daren laughed again, but darkly. "They wouldn't dare."

Humphrey didn't care to ask, some things were just not worth asking with Daren.

"Well, what are we going to do then?" Faith asked curiously.

"...I'm not sure, we can't kill them, that would risk everything."

"What do you mean? If we killed them, these wolves you're talking about wouldn't find out for days." Faith said with a hint of annoyance.

Daren shook her head "No, but **he **would,"

"Who's he?" Kate asked, taking a seat amongst the fallen leaves.

Daren frowned, "The Reaper, Shade, whatever his name is now,"

The word was like a rusty blade in Humphrey's chest.

"The Reaper? ...Diablo said that he was the Reaper...but he's dead now, so there shouldn't be a problem."

Daren sighed, a look of hurt in her eyes "Alas, you did kill him Humphrey. That, however, does not mean there is no Reaper. The Shadowlands will always have a Reaper. Just like the Valley of Light will always have an Adeodatus."

Faith groaned angrily "I can't take this anymore Daren can you explain to us what all this is? What's a Reaper? Who's Shade? How do you do all the weird things you do? How are you over one hundred and not dead? And what the hell is an Adeodatus?"

Daren looked at the four wolves in front of her, all asking the same questions with their expressions.

Daren gazed up at the sky, the blue ocean now spotted with white, puffy clouds.

She had wanted to tell them the night Humphrey's heart stopped, and the idea of it had slipped her mind the day after. They had been traveling for a little over a week now and they were still ignorant to what they had gotten themselves into.

"I suppose you do deserve an explanation..." She said quietly.

Faith smiled, taking a seat next to her mate.

Daren looked around at the thick trees around her, it wasn't safe to be in one spot for to long, especially when the scent of Shadow Walkers still clung to the air.

Humphrey let out a tired groan as he sat down with Kate.

Frowning, Daren gave into the little voice in her head that told her everything would be ok, and sat down as well.

"Very well..." She said with a sad expression. "I will start from the beggining," Daren said, gazing at the extremely curious faces around her.

"A long time ago...there was a girl about the same age as all of you. She was happy with her life, living with her father and mother and playing with the other wolves by day. She was training to become the next pack healer, and she loved to go down to the clear lake and pick the beautiful white flowers by the shore. They were called Abila flowers. They had the wonderul habbit of healing anyone that drank it's nector, they were the girl's favorite. You see, there are no rankings in the pack I used to live in, as there are no rankings in the Shadowlands, or the Valley of Light."

The thought struck Humphrey as odd, with no ranking, how did they stay organized.

Then again, the ranking system had really taken a hit back at the Eastern and Western territories. Ever since Kate and Humphrey had announced being in love with each other, things had changed.

"The girl was naive, ignorant to the world around her, and one day, despite her father's warnings, she thought she heard her mother's voice coming from the forest. The girl had been forbidden to pass the Spiraling Gate, but, being as young as she was, foolishly disobeyed her father's orders, and ventured deep into the woods in search for her mother."

"That was the day she met her best friend. When she was a good distance into the thick woods, she was confronted by a muscular, young wolf. The wolf told the girl that he was there to kill her."

A shiver crawled down Humphrey's spine as he listened.

"Yet, the girl was not afraid. The wolf had told her that he admired her bravery...and her beauty. It was a rash, and a hormonal driven action, but when the wolf approached her, the girl kissed him. You see, the girl had been born with the ability to in a way, read minds. She knew that this wolf wouldn't hurt her, and even though this wolf's mind was clouded in a thick fog of darkness, the girl saw good in him."

"That's messed up," Faith whispered to Flare with a frown.

Daren ignored the comment and continued.

"Needless to say, the wolf kissed her back, and the young naive girl fell in love. She would sneak out to meet him some nights, and they would lie together in the dark woods and watch the stars through the trees."

A tear slid down Daren's cheek, crystal clear.

"Eventually, the girls father discovered where and what she had been doing all those nights, and when he found out with whom, he was furious, and forbidded the girl to ever contact the wolf again, calling him dangerous and vile. Of course, the girl refused to stop seeing her love, and in the middle of the night, kissed her parents softly and fled from her home, never looking back. When she told her love what had happened, he comforted her, and that night, they became mates."

"The next day the wolf took the young girl to his home. At first, the girl was afraid, for the place he took her was savage and cruel. Despite the bluntness of the place, the girl grew use to it, and soon resumed her studies on becoming a pack healer, under a different teacher."

"The girl was happy, and spent many nights with her mate, whispering vows of love into his ear..."

Daren began to cry softly.

"But then... her mate began to change... his heart turned cold, and she was no longer welcome in his den at night. She resided to the pack healer's den, wich now belonged to the girl. She waited for her mate, never having the courage to confront him about their love due to how quickly he was now angered. The girl waited for many moons, until one day, her mate did visit her. The girl was devastated to learn that all previous love had vanished from his heart. He was changed, changed by forces I would rather not mention. The voices in his head told him things, horrible things that even the girl didn't know. He only shared one thing with her, who is half brother was. Even though what he told the girl came to her as a shock, the girl still loved him with all her heart. That night...her mate forced her to accept a vow. A horrible, dark vow...it changed the girl's life forever."

"Unwillingly, the girl was forced into the dark bound, and swore to serve what she feared until the end of time, that night, the girl became Vernula of obscurum. A servant of darkness..."

Humphrey flinched, the word had an evil, dark vibe to it.

"The girl waited, and waited. Her mate rarely visited and when he did it was only for a purpose. Leaving the young girl to tend to the ill and wounded for many years. The girl was lost in a ocean of grief, until, one day, many years later, her mate visited, and asked for a horrible poison, one to kill his enemies slowly."

Realization began to dawn on Humphrey as he gazed at Daren.

Daren began to sob uncontrollably, for once, looking her age.

"You ask me why I don't die, that's because the oath I swore prevents me from doing so unless killed, Light Walkers and Dark Walkers also live much longer then you wolves from the North, South, East, and Western packs. You ask me why I can do the things I do, the ability to heal by taking the wound among myself was granted to me when I swore the oath, as well as my Curatio sal, the ability to heal cuts with my spit. You ask me who the Reaper is, or what he is. Now, the Reaper is Shade. A Reaper is the transformed soul of a Vernula of obscurum cursed to kill for eternity. You ask me all these things yet you don't ask who the Reaper WAS...I will tell you,"

Daren began to shake, crying more and more, her tears soaking her dark fur.

"He was my friend, my mentor, my protector, and...the love of my life...the Reaper was the girls mate, **my mate**...his name was Diablo..."

* * *

><p>Garth groaned softly as Lily licked his chest.<p>

Her mate lied on his back, staring up at her with a silly grin.

"Do you like that?" Lily asked in a seductive voice.

Garth only nodded.

Lily smiled and began to drag her tongue down the length of his body, not stopping when she reached his thighs.

Lily didn't need to hear his soft whimpering to know what to do next and slowly got to work, making her mate shudder in ecstasy.

Lily put as much passion and energy into the act that she could, but her mind was elsewhere.

The tall, jagged mountains loomed over them, casting their dark shadows over the land as a light snow began to fall to the ground.

Snow was off hunting, the sun being obscured by the mountains seemed to help Snow in her hunt, for she brought back better prey everytime.

Garth bucked his hips, making her giggle.

Removing her tongue from its new toy, Lily stood up and gave Garth a wink, before a nod of approval.

Garth was behind her in a flash, eagerly entering her with a moan.

Lily squirmed in joy, it had been a while since Garth and her had mated, and she had been looking forward to this for quite a while.

"Oh Lily..." Garth moaned softly.

Lily groaned as Garth increased his speed, bucking her hips against his.

"Oh Garth, it feels so good..." She whimpered.

Garth responded by thrusting faster, his aim hitting its mark everytime.

"Lily...I'm...coming close..." he whispered in between pants.

"Good..." She purred.

Garth began to buck his hips as fast as possible, preparing Lily for what would happen next.

Lily let out a loud squel of pleasure as she felt the warmth of Garth's release enter her quickly.

Garth chuckled as he swung into the tying posistion.

"Lily...thank you..." was all he could say.

Lily grinned widely "Anytime..." she responded, out of breath.

A sudden shift in the snowy bushes alerted the tying wolves just in time to see Snow emerge from the frozen woods, a good sized rabbit in her mouth.

"Oh..."

* * *

><p>Stormy sat in Winston's den nervously, her sister behind her and Haze and Glacier to her right.<p>

Stormy smiled, Haze's fever had broken the night before, and now he was back to his old self, just like Helen had said.

The day had been long and hard, Alpha training seemed to grow more difficult everyday, and now the sun had begun to sink into the horizon, setting the world in a peaceful orange glow.

"Where is she!" Crystal said impatiently.

"Where is who?" Haze asked with slight curiosity.

"My friend," Crystal said without a glance at Haze.

"Is i..."

"It's not 'mama sita'" Crystal said with a look of aggrivation on her face.

"Aww," Glacier said with a pout.

"Stormy didn't you invite someone to?" Crystal asked.

Stormy smiled nervously, she had invited Orro to Winston's den earlier to meet her brother's and sister before Winston talked to the boys, and Eve and Helen talked to the girls.

A wonderful scent hit her nose a second before Orro walked through the den entrance, the setting sun making his fur seem aflame.

"Who is that..." Crystal said with a very interested face.

Stormy smiled, glad to see that Crystal already liked her friend...Well...Her boyfriend.

Stormy giggled as she ran up to meet Orro. She liked the way 'boyfriend' sounded on her tongue.

A few seconds later, the tongue that liked the word 'boyfriend' so much, seemed to like the actual thing more then the word, and clashed against Orro's as their muzzles collided in a fierce hello.

Crystal's mouth hit the floor, and Glacier's eyes grew wide. Haze looked horrified and covered his eyes.

"I'm so glad you came," Stormy said with a grin, after breaking off the intense kiss.

"Of course I came," Orro said in his rich voice, moving his muzzle closer for another hello.

Stormy happily obliged, kissing him with gusto.

Ever since she had said yes to the question of wheather or not she would be his girl friend or not, most of Orro's nervousness seemingly died, but not all of it.

Stormy grinned before turning around and gazing at her siblings nervousley.

"Guys, this is my boyfriend Orro."

Orro waved shyly.

Crystal looked to shocked to speak, but manged a few words "H-how...wh-what...ho-how...how!"

Orro grinned before answering nervously "Hi, you must be, ugh, Crystal right?"

Crystal melted "Hehehehehe" she giggled, blushing deeply.

"Hi," Haze and Glacier said, staring at Stormy with wide eyes.

"Well hello Orro, Stormy, hi Crys!" A velvet voice responded from behind Orro and Stormy.

Crystal smiled "Hey Ruchira!"

Haze's eyes bulged as Glacier began to drool.

A young, lean Alpha gracefully walked into the den, her cinnamon fur only relenting around her muzzle where it turned a beautiful red. Her paws were a gentle white, and a perfect stroke of grey draped her back.

Even Stormy gaped, she was beautiful, even more so then Crystal.

Her hips curved, leading into the extremely lean, and sexy Alpha's body.

Ruchira stopped and stole a look at Orro "Damn," was all she said before reluctantly tearing her eyes away from the orange wolf.

"Hey you two," She said with a wink, when she noticed Haze and Glacier staring with open mouthes.

"H-h-hey," Haze said with a shakey grin.

Glacier just continued to drool, looking at the gorgeous wolf with cinnamon fur as if she had just descended from Heaven.

"It's kind of dirty in here," Ruchira said with a frown, flicking at invisible dirt.

"I know!" Crystal said in agreement as she began to lick at her paw.

"Hey did you see that guy fall on his face during stalking practice?" Ruchira asked with a grin.

Crystal giggled "Yea, and he fell right into a pile of caribou sh..."

"Ew ew ew, ew ew ew, I know, don't repeat it, it's so disgusting, I will make sure I never get to close to him." Ruchira interrupted with a face full of disgust.

Haze looked at Crystal's friend with lust.

_"She looks like an adult..."_ he thought with a grin.

Haze gazed at the incredibly hot she wolfs stomach, then her hips, then her b...

Ruchira snapped her head up in a flash, the feeling of someone watching her drawing her attention away from cleaning her paw.

Haze blushed with embarrassment, only to gap when the she wolf smiled at him, giving him one quick wink before returning to her paw.

Haze's heart fluttered.

Haze thought about walking over to Orro and Stormy to get a better look, but the two seemed busy, nuzzling one another passionetly.

Haze's thoughts were interrupted when Stormy's head shot toward the entrance of the den, revealing to him, the entrance of a streaming line of wolves their age.

"What the hell, I didn't know we were having a Howl, I would have gotten ready. Besides, the moon isn't even full." Ruchira complained.

Stormy watched in shock as all the Alphas from Alpha training walked into the large den, she even noticed a few Omegas, their shy faces sticking out in the crowd.

Many looked at Orro and Stormy, who were obviously together by the way they were sitting, Orro's paw gently resting on Stormy's hip.

Everyone except Orro seemed to stare at Crystal and Ruchira.

Some gaping like Glacier and Crystal had.

"Why are there so many people," Orro asked nervously.

"I don't know, but don't be nervous, besides, if you get really nervous, we can always kiss again, I don't mind if these people see."

Orro smiled intensly "I'd like that a lot,"

Stormy grinned widely. She didn't know what was wrong with her, but lately, she could barely contain herself around Orro, and she believed he had the same problem, for sometimes she would see him staring at her body, his eyes all the words she needed for her to know what he was thinking.

The whole reason the Alphas were meeting here seemed silly to Stormy, and slightly embarrassing.

Stormy was about to lean in and kiss Orro when she saw a small, scrawny brown wolf approach Haze and shove him over. She was running acorss the den in a flash, Orro right behind her. Stormy saw Crystal and Ruchira stand up and jog over as well.

Haze was on his feet in a second, preparing to pounce when he noticed King's giant friends slowly walk over, eyeing him suspicously.

"Why are you being such an ass?" Ruchira asked King angrily, helping Haze off the ground.

"Why do you have to be such a bitch?" King responded.

"Why do you have to be so freaking dirty you little grimlin," Ruchira replied in a cool voice.

"Why did you shove my brother!" Stormy snarled, shoving King to the ground.

King snarled as he rebounded, catching Stormy across the face with his right paw. He was small, but he was very strong, even if his body deceived him.

Stormy fell to the ground with a whimper, her head hitting the ground with a small thud.

The den was dead quiet, all eyes on the current conflict.

Orro was on him in a flash, slapping him over and over again across the face with a snarl.

Stormy screamed as one of the brown wolfs friends ran up to Orro, and effortlessly slammed him up against the wall.

Orro let out a small yelp before sliding to the floor, motionless.

The den errupted then, screams and shouts of encouragement rang and echoed.

Stormy ran to Orro's motionless body and whimperd "Orro...Orro are you ok?"

She let out nervous breath as he stirred weakly "My ribs hurt..."

Stormy hugged him closely as the fighting continued. She saw Haze and Glacier hanging from one of King's friends back, scratching and biting.

"ENOUGH!" A shrill vocie peirced through the den.

Stormy looked up to the den entrance, and through the crowd of wolves, noticed Eve, Winston, and Helen all standing by the entrance.

"THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!" Winston boomed.

The den went quiet, the only sounds were Orro's short whimpers as he tried to stand up, succeeding only through the help of Stormy.

"What happened," Helen asked, sternly, but not loud enough to be considered yelling.

Stormy was about to speak up when Eve held up a paw "You know what? I don't even care, but if it happens again I WILL TEAR THE ANTAGONIZER OPEN!"

Stormy saw King flinch, and smiled.

Eve smiled evily "Since you all can not be trusted to sit and wait patiently, I think instead of dividing you, we will have the talk here, with the girls in the room boys,"

Eve was rewarded with a freakish amount of groans of displeasure.

"Now," Eve said, narrowing her eyes at King "Who knows what mating is?"

The den grew silent once more.

A few wolves raised their paws into the air, the small number included Crystal, Ruchira, Haze, Glacier, a few others, and lastly, Orro.

Stormy blushed and giggled.

Eve smiled "Well not enough of you, my husband and I have told all your parents what we plan to discuss with you tonight, and they have agreed to it. Helen is here to answer any questions you might have."

Winston cleared his throat as he nervously stared at the large group of curious wolves. "Well I guess we can begin then...Eve dear, are you sure you don't want to...you know...seperate them? Things may get very awkward."

"No, they acted like pups so we will treat them like pups, now, who's ready for story time?" She asked evily.

"Okay...ugh so boys, I know how you get...ugh...urges..." Winston seemed to nervous to speak.

Eve patted him lightly on the back before smiling as she looked at the group of young wolves "Who knows what a penis is?"

"AAAAAAGGGHHH" The group of wolves responded, the boys hiding their faces from the giggling girls.

A young omega raised his hand.

"Yes dear?" Eve asked sweetly.

"It's the thing that boys have!" He said, eager to answer correctly.

"That's right, good job," Eve said with a sweet smile.

"Now, who knows how to mate?" Eve asked again, embarrassing the wolves further.

A young Alpha rose his hand quickly, waving it back and forth eagerly.

"Yes?" Eve asked with a grin.

The male wolf smiled, and answered without a clue to what he was actually saying "It's when the guy puts his penis in the girls mouth and then she bites it off and feeds it to the caribou!"

The crowd errupted into laughter, making the young alpha frown.

"Now who in the world told you that ludicrous lie?" Wisnton asked before Eve could.

The young Alpha grinned "A really pretty wolf with dark blue fur, I think her name was Fate...Fade...Oh! It was Faith! Her name was Faith!"

Winston shook his head "She would do that wouldn't she? No, the girl does not bite the penis off the boy and feed it to the caribou when mating." Winston said with a nervous chuckle.

"No but sometimes the boys penis goes in the girls mouth," Crystal and Ruchira answered at the same time.

Eve looked shocked "Well...yes...but that's different from mating... What do you two know of sex? Would you like to come up here and explain it to your classmates since you know so much?" Eve asked slightly angry.

Ruchira shrugged "It's called Oral sex right? Yea sure I'll teach the class what I know, Crystal would you please be my assistant?" Ruchira asked with a giggle.

"Sure," Crystal said, following Ruchira up to the front of the of the den, to stand beside a very upset Eve.

Ruchira smiled "Well, when the the male wolf gets an erection..."

The crowd of wolves burst into laughter, some male wolves looking very uncomfortable.

Crystal laughed along with her friend.

Eve frowned, yet Helen and Winston smiled.

"Fine, we will call it something else," Ruchira said with a grin.

"How about we call it a...um... a duduh, and we will call a girls area, a duba." Ruchira asked the wolves, everyone single one laughing to the point of tears.

Stormy frowned when Orro laughed and immedietly stopped, whimpering as he held his side.

"Ok, so the boy gets on top of the girl and puts his duduh inside the girls duba," Ruchira giggled.

Crystal began to cry from the pain of laughing to hard.

"I swear you were born an Omega," Crystal laughed at her friends.

"Then what happens?" A voice called out from the crowd.

Ruchira smiled "Well from what I've heard, it feels really good, then the girl gets pregnant because the guys duduh go sspplloosshh inside the girls duba!"

"It looks something like this hahaha," Ruchira said before giving Crystal a questioning lool. Crystal nodded, still laughing.

Ruchira walked behind Crystal and put her two front paws on her back, making some very crude body movements.

Haze was the first out of the den, his tail tucked tightly between his legs.

Seconds later more and more males began to rush from the den, their tails inbetween their legs.

"Oh dear," Helen said, chuckling lightly.

Winston sighed before following the blushing boys out of the den.

Stormy looked at Orro cocked her head.

He had tried to stand up as well, but had stumbled in pain. Now he had his back toward Stormy, his tail tucked tightly in between his legs like the rest of the males.

Ruchira giggled, tears streaming down her beautiful face. "I guess that little example really turned them on,"

Crystal laughed again, before holding her stomach from the pain.

Helen padded her back and chuckled.

Orro sat, horribly awkward in a den full of girls, trying to hide himself from them.

"Orro, what's wrong?" Stormy asked in a whisper.

"I-it's um...um...nothing S-Stormy," he replied.

"Orro...don't lie to me," She responded with a monotone voice.

Orro seemed to blush such a deep red that Stormy feared he might lose his beautiful orange coat and turn red furred.

"It's just that...um...the thing...that just happened...I kinda...well...thought of you being the one...ugh up there...doing that...and it...well..." Orro looked so embarrassed Stormy thought he might cry.

Orro looked at her in the eye and mouthed just exactly what was wrong with him.

Stormy blushed, unfortunetly, another girl was watching and also realized what was wrong with Orro, and all the other boys for that matter.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA" She laughed, and soon the whole den was looking at Orro and laughing.

"Shut up!" Stormy yelled at them when she realized that Orro might just cry anyway.

"Now girls, it's nothing to laugh at, and Orro it's completely normal." Helen said with sympathey.

Orro frowned and stared intently at the wall.

Stormy squeezed in front of him and nuzzled his blushing face.

"Stormy please, this is only making it worse..." he pleaded.

Stormy rolled her eyes and hugged him, making sure to keep the lower part of her body, away from his.

"I'm not going to look Orro, and I will never laugh at you for telling me something like that," She told him as she held him gently.

Orro sniffled "Can I put my face into your fur? I...I don't want these girls to see me cry..."

Stormy nodded, giving any girl that was watching them a nasty stare.

Orro began to sob into her fur, and although she loved to embrace and comfort him, there was something about his sobbing that worried her, it sounded like he was crying in pain.

"Orro, are you crying because you're embarrassed or because you're hurt?" Stormy asked suddenly in a small whisper.

"B-both, bu-but it's n-nothing," he replied.

Stormy frowned, and lightly put her paw againt his ribs.

Orro let out a loud yelp, turning every head in the den, even Eve and Helen's.

"Oh Orro I'm so sorry," Stormy apologized as Orro's sobbing grew slightly louder.

"Yo-you pr-promise yo-you won't l-look, or th-think of m-me as a we-weakling?" He asked her through his muffled sobs.

"Of course not..." Stormy soothed.

"Stormy is everything Ok back there?" Helen asked.

"No it's everything is fine Helen," Stormy said, but when the old wolf looked at her, Stormy made a faint shake of her head.

Helen frowned and began to walk toward the back of the den, Eve following her with a curious expression on her aging face.

"D-don't l-look Sto-Stormy be-below my wa-wait, do m-my ri-ribs look o-ok?" He asked, taking his teary eyed face away from her tear soaked fur.

Stormy frowned, he looked so sad. Stormy gazed at his ribs closely, her anger level rising as she noticed the awful bruise, followed by the swelling.

_"King did this!"_ She thought angrily.

"Sto-Stormy, th-they are s-starting to h-hurt mo-more and m-ore..." Orro said before letting out an agonizing scream and falling to the ground.

Stormy's eyes caught a glimpse of something...but quickly neutralized the memory and sat in front of Orro so she blocked out his waist and below.

Helen and Eve burst into a run at the sound of his scream.

"Th-they hur-hurt so b-bad," he screamed.

Some of the girls in the den started to look nervous.

"What's wrong with him?" One girl asked with a scared expression on her face.

"St-Stormy..." Orro said in between pained gasps.

"Yes?" She said, nuzzling him gently.

"I th-think m-my ri-ribs a-are b-broken."

***Twitches* Almost 7,000 words, you better enjoy the chapter. Haaha just kidding, I hope you do though, I proofread it a few times and it should have very few mistakes. Hope the chapter made you laugh, it made me laugh to write it. I hope you paid close attention to Daren's story. If you did, and you already know the twist (or you think you know) Pm me, do not leave a review with it and ruin it for others if you're right. Read and review, if you do review, don't forget to support your review. Have a goodnight/goodmorning. Poor Orro, hahaha I'm just mean.**

**~Bravobravo**


	7. Stubborn

**This chapter contains a lemon, just a heads up, enjoy.**

**Chapter 7: Stubborn**

Stormy slowly crepped from Orro's den, putting all the skill she had learned from Alpha training to use.

Stormy let out a relazed breath when she passed Oro's sleeping parents.

Gazing, Stormy looked at Oro's parents closely for the first time.

Orro's father was a deep tone of red, and his mother was preety shade of brown, so how did Orro get his organge fur? She thought.

Stormy looked away from Orro's parents and focused her attention on the handsome organge wolf sleeping in the back of the den.

Frowning, Stormy decided that we wanted to stay with him more then anything in the world, reclaim her cozy posistion, pressed up against his warm body, her back sticking to his stomach like blood stuck to fur.

Alas, her wish could not be granted, for what would his parents think if they woke up to find their son _very _close to a female wolf, that would certainly set an uncomfortable image.

Stormy frowned as she remembered the previous night.

Helen had, as Orro had expected, diagnosed him with three broken rips on the left side of his body. Helen had been forced to give Orro some very strong herbs to reduce the pain only slightly.

She had sought out, and found King shortly after. Angry and threatning words had been exchanged, and now, she was to fight him in a small familiar clearing in the woods when the moon was at its highest.

Slowly, Stormy began to walk across the feeding grounds, the extremely bright moon, accompanied by stars, her only guide through the cold night air.

She felt her eyes grow moist as she continued to recall the previous night.

Helen had been working with Orro's shattered ribs, complaining that they had been dislocated, and would have to be popped back into place for them to heal correctly.

They had given the whimpering Orro a large, dry peice of Caribou to bite down on as Helen began to readjust his broken ribs.

Stormy had begun to cry then, as Orro screamed and cried.

"Can't you do this later..." Stormy sobbed to Helen, somehow overpowering the voice of Orro's scream.

Helen shook her head sadly "No...his ribs wouldn't heal right, and I would most likely have to rebreak them in order to set them straight."

Orro's father, Dane, had sat at the entrance of Winston's den with a look of horror on his face, Orro's mother, Clare, sat next to her husband and sobbed quietly the wails of her crying son proving to be to much for her.

Orro's tears ran down his face like a river, his ululating dying down into choked sobs as Helen removed her paws from his rib cage.

Stormy had smiled weakly, for his sake. She knew how Orro hated to expose weakness, and before he had stopped his screaming, Stormy wound't have doubted being able to hear his scream from the Southern pack.

"Okay...Orro dear, this is going to be very painful, but I will be quick I promise. I'm going to shift your ribs back into their proper posistions.

Orro had nodded weakly, holding back sobs as his paw found Stormy's. Stormy held it and closed her eyes tightly as she heard Helen snap one of Orro's ribs back into place.

Stormy had nearly cried from pain of her own from the strength of Orro's squeeze, threatning to break her hand. The sound Orro had made was horrid, the scream of pure agony and misery mixed with a wailing sob.

Helen had quickly, but carefully moved the last two ribs back into place with swiftness that only prooved her past experiance of being the pack healer for many years.

Orro's scream had grown in strength with each rib's relocation.

When she was done, Helen had run from the den in a hurry to get another mouthful of herbs.

Clare had looked as if she was about to run to her son and embrace him, but stopped any hints of what might have been when her son feebly sat up, and fell into Stormy. Knocking her to the ground as his weight overcame her own.

Stormy had noticed Clare and Dane look eachother, frowning but with curious expressions on their face's.

Stormy frowned also as she put her paws on Orro's back, the orange wolf crying intensely into her fur.

They had yet to tell anyone of their relationship, the only things the adults heard came from the quiet gossiping of the younger wolves.

Stormy had held him until Helen returned, after Orro was given the herbs, Orro had seemingly fallen asleep in Stormy's paws as Orro's parents talked with Eve, Winston, and Helen by the cave entrance.

When it was time for them to go, Stormy had gently shook Orro, telling him that he was leaving.

Orro had looked up at her...and kissed her on the cheek, in full view of Winston, Eve, Helen, and his parents.

Stormy had blushed insanely as the adults gaped in shock.

Orro had very gently stood up, leaning all his wait to the right side of his body, away from the broken ribs.

Turning and looking deep into Stormy's eyes, Orro leaned forward and whispered in her ear "Come to my den tonight, please?" He had said in a weak voice.

Stormy had nodded without heasitation and watched him slowly and awkwardly limp toward the entrance, past the still gaping adults, and out of the den, the night drowning even his orange fur in darkness.

Stormy had waited a few hours before sneaking off to Orro's den, it wasn't hard to find when she followed her crushes scent.

Orro had very quietly whispered her inside, past his sleeping parents, and onto the floor right next to himself.

"Will you spend the night here?" he had whispered.

Stormy rememered finding herself smiling. "What if your parents wake up?"

"They won't and you can leave before they do,"

Stormy had grinned, and without further argument, cuddled with Orro until he was asleep.

Sleep had almost taken her a few times, the soft beating of Orro's heart a tempting lulluby, but she had a score to settle and refused her body the leisure of falling asleep in Orro's soft, comforting fur.

Besides... whenever Stormy was around Orro, she had urges...urges that only grew by night. If she hadn't left when she did, Orro's parents would have woken up to find Orro doing much more the cuddling with Stormy.

Stormy blushed, knowing that if she ever wanted to mate with Orro that he would more then happily oblige.

Stormy stopped suddenly, snapping out of her memories and thoughts. She was in the clearing that had agreed to meet at, she realized, yet she didn't see King anywhere.

A cold wind brushed against her face, giving her the scent of King...and two other wolves.

Not more then a few seconds later, King emerged from the woods, his two, muscular giants behind him.

"I see you were to scared to come alone," Stormy said cooly.

King laughed "They wanted to come, they want to watch me beat you...and maybe have a little fun with you after,"

Stormy fumed, but ignored his taunt "Because of you, my friend's ribs are broken, and he's in a lot of pain. Instead of aplogizing, you called me a 'bitch' so now I'm going to make you regret not just apologizing to someone you hurt...my brother to..."

King chuckled yet again "Oh is that what you're calling him now? Your friend? I'm not an idiot, everyone in the Eastern and Western packs think you two fuck,"

The crudeness of the statement struck Stormy like a rock to the head "We have not mated, and it's none of your buissness if we do ot not!" She snarled.

King shrugged "I know you haven't, the guy is to much of a pussy to take it to the next step with you...but I'm not..."

King took a step forward and smiled.

It was only then that Stormy noticed one of King's bodyguards was missing.

A second later, she found him, when he pinned her to the ground from behind.

King smiled and walked closer to Stormy.

"I think instead of fighting with you, I'll mate with you. It's much easier, and, a lot more fun."

Stormy began to struggle, trying to move from the heavy wolfs grasp.

King winked at her before walking around her...

Stormy was about to scream when she heard King let out a small groan of pain, as he went rolling to the ground at the right of Stormy.

The wolf that was pinning Stormy released her and ran to his friend's side.

Turning around, Stormy noticed Orro, leaning heavily to his right and wincing slightly.

"You, stay away from her," He snarled.

King errupted into a roar of laughter.

"Or what? The wolf with broken ribs is going to kill me?"

"You got it," he responded darkly.

King laughed "You two pin Stormy, I'll handle Orro,"

King's large friends were on her in seconds, pinning her to the ground, making her feel helpless.

Stormy watched as King ran at Orro.

King yelped as Orro lunged, and sank his teeth deep into King's leg when we was in range.

King screamed loudly, trying to get Orro to let go of his leg.

Orro held on tightly, Stormy noticed how he was practically falling over...he was in no condition to be fighting...

King yelped as Orro bit harder, King's blood dripping onto the clearing ground.

King's eyes narrowed, and with a small smirk, he slammed his paw into Orro's broken ribs.

Orro let go instantly and crumpled to the ground, whimpering.

King grinned softly, swinging his paw through the air and crashing into Orro's ribs yet again.

Orro shriveled up into a ball, trying hard to not cry in front of another male.

King chuckled and placed his paw on Orro's ribs.

"I was just about to have some fun with your girl," King said with an evil grin.

Orro only groaned softly, to weak to respond.

A certain fire crawled into King's eyes as he stared down at Orro.

"Tell you what, if you slap Stormy across the face one time, I won't kill you, or mate with your girl, and I'll leave you two alone,"

Stormy's heart sank, even though she would absolutely take a slap for all of this to end, but, she knew Orro wouldn't accept to hurt her.

"No..." Orro said with new courage, a fire of his own leaping into his own eyes.

King grinned "Ok," and kicked Orro in the ribs at full force.

Orro screamed and sobbed. For a second, Stormy thought he had passed out from the pain, but then he stirred weakly.

"Slap her." King ordered.

"...no..." Orro said again, knowing what would come next.

King kicked him again.

Stormy screamed from underneath the giant wolves that had her pinned "Just do it Orro!"

Orro shook gently on the ground, tears now silently streaming down his face.

"DO IT!" King screamed.

"NO!" Orro yelled back, trying to get to his feet weakly.

King snarled and dragged his sharp claws acorss Orro's chest before kicking him yet again.

"You are pathetic," King whispered in his ear before turning and walking toward Stormy.

Stormy felt sudden dread, not knowing what he would do.

She yelped when he slapped her across the face with jaw breaking force.

"Let her go, these two aren't worth my time...well Stormy is, but I'll mate with her another time." King ordered to his big friends.

Stormy felt the pressure fade from her back as the two wolves unpinned her and began to walk away, following King like lost pups.

Stormy, her face stinging, ran over to Orro and nudged him.

"What are you doing here..."

Orro winced, tears brimming his eyes.

"I got cold when you left..." he said with such sadness that Stormy almost cried.

"You saved me...but you're so stubborn" She said, stepping over him gently.

"Of course I saved you... Stormy...I think...I think I lo...lov...love you..." he said, looking away from her shocked face.

Stormy's heart fluttered "Orro...I know I love you..."

Orro gaped at her, before smiling widely.

"You...do?"

Stormy giggled "Yes...I do..."

Orro sat up with imense difficulty and kissed her roughly, his kiss tasting slightly of blood, most likely from when King had slapped him.

Stormy kissed him back, her tongue sliding into his mouth.

Orro fell back to the ground softly as Stormy pushed him down.

"Are you okay? ...It looked like he kicked you really hard" Stormy asked with worry as she gazed down at her love.

Orro grinned "I'm fine now..."

Stormy rolled her eyes, he obviously wasn't, still shying away from putting any pressure on his injured ribs.

A sudden surge of hormones crashed into Stormy, and without thinking, leaned down and kissed Orro, catching him off guard.

Orro let out a small moan into her muzzle as she pressed her body gently against his.

Orro pulled away, blushing deeply "Ugh, Stormy, could you please get off of me, it's ugh...

happening...again."

Stormy giggled, but shook her head, she wasn't going anywhere.

Kissing him again, Stormy blushed a deeper red then Orro's tongue when she felt something press up against her lower stomach.

Orro looked ashamed... "I'm so sorry..."

Stormy looked at Orro and found herself reaching her paw past his waistline.

She nearly fainted when she grasped what her paw was looking for.

Orro's tongue hanged out of his mouth as he stared at Stormy with a joyful expression on his face.

"Do you like that?" Stormy asked more curiously then seductively.

Orro whimpered in response, instinct forcing him to lightly thrust his hips upward.

Stormy giggled and experimentally began to feel Orro.

Orro grabbed Stormy's paw, and slowly wrapped it around himself.

Stormy watched his face as she slowly pulled up, then down.

Orro groaned, and Stormy giggled, she knew what to do now.

Slowly pulling up and down, Stormy turned herself around and looked down at what she was holding.

The night hid the color, but Stormy could just make out the outline of a long, dark shape.

Stormy giggled, her head feeling dizzy.

Curiously, Stormy dragged her tongue across the shape.

"O...my...gosh..." Orro panted.

Stormy chuckled as she continued to lick the dark shape, somewhat liking the taste.

Orro began to pant, and moan in pleasure.

Stormy didn't know what exactly she was doing, but when she slid the outline into her mouth, Orro laughed in extreme pleasure as a salty liquid splashed into Stormy's mouth, startling her.

At first, she thought she had done something wrong, but one look at Orro's face prooved otherwise.

"Stormy...that felt...amazing..." was all he could breathe out.

Stormy blushed and whispered in his ear "It tasted amazing..."

Orro began to laugh, until he gripped at his ribs and cried, the pain of his laughter prooving to be to much.

Stormy laughed with him, whatever she had just done, she knew Orro had enjoyed it very much, and, it made her feel closer then ever before to him, and she liked that the more then any taste.

The moon hung high in the sky, illuminating the small clearing.

Stormy kissed Orro again, this time, giggling when he made an unhappy face, complaining about some if 'it' getting in his mouth.

The two lovers had begun to laugh...When they heard voices coming from the woods, very close.

"I think they're over here!" A voice called out through the trees.

Orro froze, as well as Stormy, as Clare, Dane, Winston, and Eve rushed through the woods, stopping everything they were doing when they noticed Stormy lying ontop of Orro, the scent in the air meaning only one thing.

Orro blushed a horrible red before breaking the extremely awkward silence... "Hi mom...Hi dad..."

**Well well well, the first Lemon between Stormy and Orro. Maybe there will be more, I'm not sure. Do you guys (the readers) enjoy chapters from Stormy and her siblings point of views? Let me know what you thought. In detail please.**

**~Bravobravo**


	8. An axe to grind

**Chapter 8: An axe to grind**

Humphrey shuddered with a racking cough. The spasm in his chest sending a doll throb of pain thoughout his body.

The poison had begun to make its way back to his heart, fueld by vengeance.

The sky bled a heavy rain, dripping from the clouds in thick, profuse waves.

"Are you okay Humphrey," Kate asked with a tone thick with concern.

"Yea... I'm fine."

Kate looked at him, her emotions as clear as the drops of rain.

She was afraid.

The group of wolves walked slowly through the woods, the rain straining to get through the thick canopy of the dense woods.

Humphrey watched Daren walk stiffly through the woods.

The old, but beautiful wolf had been insanely quiet ever since she had told the four wolves her sad, yet somewhat betraying story.

Humphrey didn't know what to think of Daren, a part of him was eternally thankful for saving his life, while another part blamed her for being partially responsible for his current condition.

The group of wolves stopped when Daren's head shot up, her ears twitching, hearing something they could not.

Humphrey and his friends looked at eachother curiously.

"I don't smell anything..." Faith said in a small voice.

"Same..." Flare replied, looking around at the thick woods.

"...Run..." Daren said suddenly, her voice heavy with toxic fear.

Kate looked troubled "Run? Why would we run? From what?"

"RUN!" She screamed, looking around the woods in frantic movements.

Daren turned to Humphrey and stared at him deeply.

"Humphrey, forgive me for all that I have done,"

Humphrey looked at her, dumbstruck.

"What's going on Daren?"

Daren shook her head sadly before looking at Kate.

"You are close to the Valley, only a little more then a day away, continue south west, run, do not walk. Do not stop for anything. Humphrey has about a day before he slips into a coma. When you come to the archway, tell the watch that I sent you."

"Wait... what archway? How will we know when we are there!" Kate asked, panic beggining to settle into her voice.

Daren smiled "You will know when you reach the valley, tell Tempest...I said that I am sorry,"

"Why don't you tell him yourself..." Faith asked, the fear slowly settling into her own state of mind.

"Because... I am going to die here..." She responded with a far off glance.

Flare shook his head "No, I don't know what's going on, but we will fight with you."

Daren snarled "Do not make my effort to get you this far be wasted, now go!"

Humphrey was about to speak when an all to familiar chill swept across the air.

Kate gasped when the shadow of the forest seemed to move, sliding across the ground with ease.

Daren growled, standing protectivly in front of her friends.

"I see you learned your talent, Shade..." She spat at the moving shape.

A dark laugh echoed throughout the trees.

"That is no longer my name Daren, I am Shadow,"

Humphrey watched in horror as a paw surged from the shadow, gripping the solid ground.

Shadow emerged from the shade of the trees, the darkness dripping off him like blood.

Humphrey stared at the black and red wolf twenty feet away from him, he noticed the long claw that accompanied his right and left paw with a shiver.

_"This is the new Reaper..."_

"Sorrow, Lust, come forward." Shadow ordered with a smirk.

The first wolf to slide into view radiated with depression and sadness.

He worse a small frown, his white teeth gleaming when compared to his dark grey fur.

"Yes master..." He seemed to sigh.

"Daren, you do not remember Sorrow, he is a new Obscuram." Shadow said with a grin.

"Another pet," She hissed.

Sorrow seemed to cock his head at the word "I am a pet, yes... I am nothing... Compared to many, I am much more, but who am I to presume the opinion of others. Let me tell you who I am. I am grief, I am pain, I am hopelessness." The dark grey wolf began to mutter in a monotone voice as he approached Daren slowly.

"I am what is let into your heart when a loved one dies, I am the dissapointment when something doesn't go your way. I am the rejection in your heart. I am Sorrow." The wolf explained, his name coming off his tongue in a howl.

Daren blinked "Sorrow...what a sad name... It reminds me of when my aunt died...Her name was Angel...I was so young...why did she have to leave me all alone..."

Humphrey watched as Daren relaxed her fighting stance and began to sob harshly, completely oblivious to the world around her.

"What did you do to her!" Flare screamed.

Sorrow didn't answer, only continued to shuffle toward the sobbing Daren.

Flare broke into a sprint as Shadow laughed.

He had almost reached Sorrow when a different wolf walked in front of him.

Flare gaped at the wolf in front of him. She was the most beautiful wolf he had ever seen.

Her soft orange eyes blinked as her red and white fur ruffled.

"Where are you going..." she whispered in his ear.

Flare stuttered.

_"She's talking to me! She's talking to me! Oh my god, she's so beautiful,"_ he thought when he could not find the words to speak.

"My name is Lust," She said sweetly, winking at him slowly as Sorrow passed her, Flare not giving him a second glance.

"Mine's Flare..." He said quietly.

"That's a nice name, come here Flare, I want to give you something." She ordered nicely.

Faith watched in utter fear as Flare stretched his neck out to the seducing wolf, waiting for his gift.

"FLARE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" She screamed, breaking off into a run, passing the crying Daren in seconds.

Flare snapped back into control with a shake of his head just in time to see Lust smile, revealing a wide array of pointed, red teeth, before she tore through the side of his neck.

Flare swayed, before falling to the ground, the wound in the side of his neck soaking the ground in blood.

Faith screamed in furry as she pounced at Lust.

Lust smiled sinfully before giving Faith a lazy swipe of her paw, sending her into a crooked tree ten feet away.

Humphrey was ripped from his world of extreme horror, when he saw Kate slam into Sorrow, sending him to the ground with a thud.

Humphrey thought he saw Daren snap out of her world of sadness for a few seconds, before she began to cry again.

Sorrow was on his feet in a flash, rushing at Kate with his common frown spread across his face.

Shadow chuckled, eyeing Humphrey down with a grin.

"So this is the wolf that killed my uncle... Diablo was defenitly getting weak if you killed him."

Humphrey stammaered before replying "I ripped his throat out."

Shadow grinned wider "Then that's how I will kill you, I'll just make sure I do it slowly."

Humphrey frowned, but prepared his body for battle.

"You're going to waste your time with that?" Lust asked with disgust, Flare still bleeding at her feet.

"Of course. He killed my uncle, I will see to it that I kill him personally." Shadow replied curtly, giving one of his long blades a loving lick.

Kate snarled as she flew into Sorrow yet again, the two wolves forming a tumbling mass on the forest ground.

Shadow chuckled before shrugging with a slight shiver.

Before Humphrey knew what was happening, a dark, constantly moving wolf slammed into him from behind.

Humphrey hit the ground hard before turning around to look at his attacker, his heart stopping in his chest when he did.

A shadow stood in front of him, no face, no eyes, a simple shadow.

It seemed to glare at him before pouncing on him.

Humphrey snapped at its exposed throat, only to feel his teeth pass through the shadow harmlessly.

The shadow seemed to solidfy, and soon, Humphrey found himself no longer pinned beneath a faceless image of a wolf, but beneath a snarling Shadow, his knife like claw pressed to his Humphrey's throat.

Shadow chuckled "Neat trick, isn't it?"

Humphrey replied with another snap at the throat, this time feeling flesh tear away from the wolf that was really there.

Shadow screamed in pain before evaporating into thin air.

Humphrey saw his reappear behind Lust, who sat, watching Kate's and Sorrow's fight with interest.

Shadow's image seemed concerned, the black misty wolf nudging Shadow carefully.

Shadow only snarled, swiping at his shadey image.

Kate screamed as Sorrow bit into her leg, his expression never betraying the frown that seemed forever plastered to his face.

"KATE!" Humphrey screamed.

"You're being an idiot Shadow, just kill him and be done with it." Lust said with a bored look at Humphrey.

"Now that's not very nice," A high pitched, female voice stated. Startling Shadow and Lust badly.

Even Sorrow seemed to flinch when Flare sat up with ease and giggled in a girls voice.

"I don't see why you're called Lust, you might be pretty on the outside but you are ugly on the inside!" Flare seethed at Lust before pouting unhappily, the blood surging from his neck seemed to do nothing to him.

Lust looked horrified, swinging her paw with full force at Flare's head.

Flare caught it with a yawn. "I'm going to break you hand now," He giggled.

There was a loud sickening snap as Lust howled in pain, Flare silencing her scream with a blow to the head, sending her to the ground, unconscious.

"Fla-Flare..." Faith questioned quietly, slowly standing up from the ground, a stream of blood running down the side of her head.

Flare giggled again "No silly, my name is Bella."

Faith looked utterly confused, and seemed to gap before falling to the ground.

It was then that Humphrey noticed three sable colored wolves walk silently out of the woods, the two, obvious males following the steps of a young female pup.

The young pup turned her small head to look at Humphrey, when she did, Flare's head did the same.

The pup smiled, Flare doing the same. "It's nice to meet you," Bella's voice stated through Flare's body and her own.

"My name is Bella, and you are on our territory." Flare and Bella said with a smile.

Sorrow recoiled from Kate and ran to Shadow with a whimper.

Shadow snarled "Run away now, little Light Walker."

Bella giggled before speaking through Flare's and her own body.

"You do not frighten me Reaper, but I know someone that will frighten you. Tempest, can you come out now?"

Humphrey watched in shock as a mighty looking wolf stepped through the woods, his sable coat soaking wet.

"My dear Reaper, my name is Tempest and I am the Adeodatus of the Light Walkers, I'm afraid it's time for you to go."


	9. Err to the side of caution

**I'm trying harder in my chapters to add more detail, let me know how I did. There is a major detail/revealer in this chapter, I hope you get it. If not, you could always ask other reviewers who do get it. Enjoy.**

**Chapter 9: Err to the side of caution**

Lily walked slowly through the snow coated forest.

The shadows seemed to smile at her, the cold their icy breath.

"It's s-s-s-s-so c-c-cold," She stuttered, the moisture in her breath seeming to freeze the instant it hit the far below freezing temperatures.

"Yea," Garth agreed, cuddling closer to Lily as they walked side by side.

The sun barely visible through the snow heavy clouds offered no heat, only mocking those who froze beneath it with its faint glow.

The ice dripped off the tree, resembling long, clear fangs.

The wind tore through Lily's fur like a knife.

"Yes, well once we pass the summit, things will get slightly warmer... but only slightly." Snow said without turning her head, walking stiffly a few feet in front of Garth and Lily.

Lily giggled awkwardly. Ever since Snow had walked in on Garth and her's...bonding... time. She had spoken little, and avoided the pair's eyes.

They three wolves had been walking without rest ever since they entered the bitter mountains, Snow claiming them to be a very dangerous place, and that if they somehow found the warmth to fall asleep, they might never wake up.

"What is it that's actually so dangerous," Lily piped when the true level of her exhaustion revealed itself to her.

Snow's body froze faster than the rain did when the clouds were warm enough to cry instead of freeze.

"Those are things best spoken in the security of your home, not here." She said, rather sternly.

Lily spared a glance at Garth, who simply shrugged.

"Well are we almost there?" She whined.

Snow rolled her eyes, a small growl of annoyance escaping her muzzle.

"We are a little bit more then two days away,"

"What! We won't survive another two days in this wasteland, we will freeze to death!" Garth fumed.

Snow frowned "I highly doubt that. All you two need to do is "cuddle" with eachother and bam, instant warmth."

Garth flushed as Lily giggled "I told you we were only cuddling for warmth!" He said with an awkward smile.

Snow laughed, the sound clearer then the frozen ice "Of course, and I'm a rabbit with wings."

Garth mumbled something before continuing he paced walk, staring intently at the snowy ground.

"I wonder how my pups are doing..." Snow said suddenly, shattering the think veil of frozen silence.

"I'm sure they are fine, they have most likely gotten much bigger." Lily answered with a thin smile.

Snow didn't reflect the same emotions and frowned "They have haven't they? We have been gone for how long now? Almost more then two weeks? I'm missing my pups childhood!"

Garth and Lily remained silent as they began to ascend a steep, icy slope. The path leading to a new level of the frozen mountain, its trees more rigid then the former.

By the time they reached the upper level of the freezing world, Lily was in the middle of her hundreth complaint.

"My feet hurt, I'm tired, I'm hungry, Snow I..."

Lily's words morphed into a scream as a scrawny looking wolf surged from the thick snowed forest.

Her scream seemed to echo through the air over and over again, until the world seemed to reply with a deep and mighty crack, the sound of fallings trees in the distance.

Garth and Snow were preparing to lunge for the skinny, un named wolf, when Lily caught sight of something further up the side of the mountain.

A wall of white was tearing down the side of the mountain with a rumble, destroying all in its path.

Lily squeaked with fear...She had never been in the mountains, but she had heard stories. Stories of bears, things un mentionable, and... avalanches.

* * *

><p>Shadow hit the base of the tree with a sickening snap, the invisible force that had tossed him seemed to clutch at his bloodied fur.<p>

Humphrey's head throbbed as he stood protectively over Kate, Daren lying motionlessly a few feet away.

Sorrow had obviously torn through something important, Humphrey didn't need to be experianced to notice that pink, raw muscle hanging limply out of Kate's leg.

Faith lied in the dirt, un moving, while Flare, did quite the opposite, singing a nursery rhyme in a pup's voice as his neck continued to bleed.

The powerful, sable wolf, Bella had called Tempest gave a curt nod of his head, sending Shadow to the ground in a crumple.

"Give this petty battle up Reaper, take your revolting Obscurum with you when you leave, I don't want them disgracing my territory." Tempest spoke in a commanding voice, his tone defining he perfect control over the situation.

"The Reaper takes commands from know one Light Walker!" Sorrow spat with venom.

Tempest seemed to look him over, before, without moving, sent his body back twenty feet, his body sprawling to the ground.

Humphrey shook his head wildly, he coudn't grasp all these things at once.

The wolf Tempest seemed to have honed the ability to move things...without touching them...

The whole concept made Humphrey's head hurt worse.

Then, there was Bella.

Humphrey refused to look at the girl. She was a lean, cute pup on her way into adolescents, yet she acted... as if... she knew everything about you, the way she stared at you...through you.

The oddity had the power to, in a disturbing way, take over and control things.

The two wolves that had walked through the woods with her seemed to have no added attributes, but were quick enough to leap into the fight.

The girl watched through her eye's and Flare's, a seemingly bored expression on her face as her two companions to battle with Sorrow, and when she had woken, Lust. Who did everything possible to avoid contact with her broken paw.

Tempest and Shadow were arguing about something, something he couldn't quite hear...

Humphrey flinched, the snarling, yelling and whimpers had grown quieter, and with sudden revulsion and fear, realized that his hearing was failing. The poison was reaching his heart.

Humphrey ignored his fear and licked at Kate's wound, his mates eye's were shut tightly, expressing great pain through no expression.

In a loud whimper, his hearing seemed to gain a foothold against the posion as his hearing revived itself in a jolt.

Sorrow had the bleeding throat of a Light Walker in his mouth, the corpse at his feet drawing its last breath.

Lust was about to laugh with joy when she noticed Bella snarling.

"You... killed him...he was my friend..." Bella started to giggle, rocking back and forth on her paws, one paw on her head.

Every wolf that could looked at Bella with fear, excluding Tempest who only looked at Sorrow with a sad expression.

Bella's head shot up with a snap, her eyes a dark yellow color, grinning sharp, pointed teeth.

Flare's strings seemed to be cut and he fell to the ground, no longer under Bella's control.

Sorrow screamed in pain, gripping at his head with both his paws.

Bella giggled again, and grinned wider.

Sorrow's scream grew louder.

Humphrey wished his hearing would fail again when the intensity of the scream maxed out.

Just when Humphrey thought Sorrow would pass out, the scream seemed to fade, along with his pain.

Sorrow cried, his face in the dirt, thinking the pain, and fear were over.

But he didn't see what everyone else did.

The wolf he had just killed got up as if it was napping, its throat hanging out of its throat.

"You killed him, so he will kill you," Bella muttered, before reaching forward to the horrified wolf and snapping its neck with a quick, fluid twist.

Lust screamed before turning and running into the woods, and past a startled Shadow.

Daren groaned softly and stood up, Sorrow's death seemingly reviving her.

She looked around with a shocked expression, her face contorting into fear when she noticed Tempest.

She snapped her attention away from the wolf conversing with the new Reaper and noticed Humphrey, licking Kate.

Daren ran to them, and without pausing, inflicted the horrid leg wound to herself.

Daren's scream was awful as Kate opened her eyes.

Tempest's head swung in an arch, a look of sincere concern spread across his face.

Daren quickly licked her new wound, while sobbing from the pain, the skin crawling back together causing her extreme peace.

Shadow snarled as Tempest turned back to him "I will kill you for what you did to my mother, and I will kill him for killing my uncle. You both took my only family away from me. Your souls will be devoured by the darkness!" He spat before rushing off into the dark woods.

Tempest siged "My dear nephew, what has happened to you..."

Kate stood up and hugged Daren tightly, thanking her.

As Kate thanked Daren repeatedly, Humphrey noticed Bella, staring blankly at the ground, the surviving Light Walker to her right.

Faith groaned, and stood up difficulty. "My head hurts..."

When she saw Flare, she ran to him, immedietly looking up at Daren.

"I can't Faith, the wound would kill me..." she replied sadly.

Faith screamed and hugged her mate closely as he bled out.

Humphrey felt tears brim in his own eyes, blurring his vision...was it from the tears? Or the pois...

Humphrey's mind went black as he collapsed, resulting in a terrible scream from Kate.

"He's gone into a coma," Daren said quickly, "We have to hurry."

Faith snarled when Bella lightly tapped her shoulder, her dark mood suddenly gone.

"I won't let him die," Was all she said before giving a moments concentration to Flare's body. Faith almost fainted again when Flare's body stood up.

"He's losing so much blood, he's not going to make it!" She cried. "Daren! Can't you heal his wound with your saliva!"

Daren frowned, drawing her attention away from the sobbing Kate and her motionless mate. "No Faith, it only works on my own body..."

"Don't worry Faith, Flare won't die, the blood he is bleeding is coming from me, we are connected..." Bella said with a sweet voice.

"That doesn't mean we shouldn't hurry..." Tempest spoke up, startling the wolves, especially Daren.

Daren looked at Tempest and smiled sadly... "You're going to help us?"

Tempest smiled lovingly at Daren "Of course I am Daren, afterall, how could I let my daughter's friends die?"

**Who got it? If you did you get a cookie! Leave a good review if you decide to. For those who don't understand. Diablo was Tempest's half brother. Mmm yum, that's got to be some kind of incest. Who likes Bella? You creeped out yet? Good. Have a nice night.**

**~Bravobravo**


	10. Hyperthermia

**Chapter 10: Hyperthermia **

The snow pressed down on her, the weight threatening to crush her.

Lilly began to struggle, fighting the snow with every fiber in her body, she stopped.

Her body was a tangled mess within her white tomb. Not knowing which way would lead her to the surface, and which way would lead her to death.

Her lungs began to burn, indicating that she should make her decision quickly. Tears brimmed her eyes, spilling over and rolling…up her face.

Lilly gasped, only to be reminded that she was out of air. She began to dig, kicking and clawing with all her strength downward.

Her lungs screamed as they burned hotter and hotter, her body seemed to think the tears would aid the burn, for they continued slide up her cheeks.

Her tears may not save the burning insanity of her lungs, but they did save her life, as her prison of ice and snow parted, light spilling into the dark abyss that wanted nothing more to hold her in its grasp, and snuff out her flame.

Lilly emerged from the sea of snow with a gasp, her tears realizing which way was up, and as she fell onto the compacted snow, began to slide the correct way, falling down her face.

She continued to take in the frigid air, giving her lungs a new kind of burn, one that fought the warm burning of death, and replaced it with the sweet singe of life.

The sky seemed to look down on her, wondering why she was crying, the grey clouds quickly slaughtered the sky, her sympathetic blue forming into the cold merciless grey. It began to snow.

Lilly tore her view from the grey sea and absorbed her surroundings.

The mountain still loomed over her, and the cold was still in the air, but she was alone.

The mountains tears had left a path of destruction, its obvious path being where the trees no longer stood, trampled beneath the mountains rage.

She shook her head as a new fear replaced the fear of her death.

"Garth!" She screamed into the frozen air, her breath coming forth like steam.

"GARTH!" She screamed louder, slowly standing up and shaking the murderous coat of snow from her body.

"Garth! Snow! Where are you!"

"Hush now pup, you don't want to wake mother do you?"

Lilly jumped, turning to find the wolf that had leapt from the forest glaring at her.

"W-who are you…who's m-mother?" she demanded in a shaky voice.

The scrawny wolf laughed "My name is Clark, and mother is the mountain."

Lilly's tears stopped as she began to grow wary. "Who are you…what do you want… where are my friends…"

The wolf laughed "Dead or dying my sweet. As my father told me the day my birth mother's throat was ripped from her throat in front of me, do not waste your thoughts on the dead, we are the ones that suffer."

"No…not dead, they're alive…you'll see!"

"I'm afraid I won't my little hare, I'm leaving… and you're coming with me."

Lilly's heart stopped. "No…please… let me stay here…Im begging you…"

Clark spat "The weak beg, are you weak my little hare? No matter your answer you're still coming with me,"

Lilly stammered, "If you come near me… I'll, I'll kill you! I know how to fight! I'll rip your throat out!"

Clark laughed and shook his head, You are a funny one my little hare, I like you, I'll try not to hurt you, I don't want blood on that pretty coat of fur."

Lilly was about to threaten him again when he leapt, closing the distance between them in seconds. She was too afraid to move, something about this wolf seemed to stop her body from reacting.

She opened her mouth to scream, but Clark's paw cut her off. His breath was colder than the snow falling around them, and his paw was harder than ice.

"Sleep now, little hare," he chuckled.

Lilly didn't see the wolf move, but moments later Clark's cold paw slammed down on her neck.

She swayed, as her vision failed, the world around her seemed to fade, the ocean of white darkening until there was only black.

Her last thought was of Garth, and if her mate had broken free of his frozen hell.

In her last moments before unconsciousness, Lilly wondered is Garth's lungs were burning as hers had.

Oh how they had burned.

* * *

><p>Kate rushed through the now rocky terrain.<p>

The woods had eventually faded, and now her destination towered over her.

The mountain, if it could be called that, seemed to be barren of trees, and appeared to be more of a very large rock than anything else.

Her companions ran with her. Tempest and his men glided silently over the rocky ground, quick and agile.

Daren and Faith ran side by side slightly in front of her, both focused on the rocky haven that awaited them.

Flare ran slightly behind her, his bleeding throat pulsing dully as he ran. And beside him, ran Humphrey, his expression blank.

Kate shook her head, she had objected to letting the little girl enter his mind as well, but Daren has insisted that without it, her mate would die.

Kate's fur seemed to rise at the thought of Bella.

The young she wolf had quickly fallen behind, the strain of controlling two wolves being too much for her to run.

Kate sensed that something was off with the girl, but there would be time for questions later, now the best thing she could do was make it to Tempest's rocky home in time to save Humphrey's life.

Her paws padded against the rock as the mass of stone began to get bigger and wider.

The sky had darkened, and a deep thunder boomed in the distance.

The wind clutched at Kate's fur, wanting to pull her back, keep her from reaching her target.

It seemed to take forever to finally get there, but at last Tempest and his wolves came to a stop.

Kate shook her head in disbelief; two spires of rock seemed to stretch toward the sky, marking the entrance of Tempest's land to the world.

The stone gate seemed to leer at them as they passed slowly.

Daren seemed uncomfortable, shuffling her feat as she followed her father.

They followed a narrow path, rock on either side of them, until they reached a dark cave.

They continued through and utter darkness, their only direction from Tempest was to continue straight.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity in darkness, Kate saw light at the end of the cave.

Slowly, the group of wolves emerged from the darkness and found themselves looking down on the land the Light Walkers called home.

Kate almost cried, it was beautiful. The valley was surrounded by rock, its walls shooting endlessly into the sky. There were trees here as well she realized with a smile. She saw the dens carved into the rock walls, the glimmering lake in the distance, the vast woods that grew dense at some parts, and thinned out drastically at others.

She felt like the creator of some great piece of art, staring at her creation with pride and swelling happiness.

Tempest smiled at her and nodded for her to continue.

Kate noticed the steep ramp that led down to the beautiful world, and realized how far up they were.

The cave they had just exited was half way up one of those mighty stone walls she had noticed before.

Shaking her head in wonder, Kate began the long descent with the rest of her group.

Faith was in awe as well, absorbing the beauty of the land as she walked with Daren.

Kate noticed fields of flowers in bloom, which surprised her, it was nearing snow fall, why would there be flowers in bloom during this time of the year.

Even the menacing grey sky could not diminish the beauty of this place, it was untouched, sacred in a sense, and it was magnificent.

"It's gorgeous…" she finally managed to say.

"Yea…" Faith said in a small voice.

"Glad you think so," Bella said sweetly, her childish voice coming from Humphrey and Garth at the same time was something close to comical, and deeply disturbing.

Tempest grinned and spoke in his commanding voice "Welcome to our home, I'm glad you are enjoying the beauty of it, but I believe we have a life to save."

Kate shook her head, she had almost forgotten about her poisoned mate. She picked up her pace and continued down the descending slow in a quick jog until they reached the surface of the land.

They continued onward, moving through small forests and fields of purple flowers.

Even the patches of grass were defining, its bright green color only compared to its plush, soft feeling.

They passed a small lake, its surface beginning to ripple from the falling rain.

"What do you eat," she asked suddenly.

"There are plenty of deer in the woods, plenty of berries, and a few moose as well," Tempest said with a smile.

Kate grinned as they continued onward, stopping only after passing through the main feeding grounds, and coming to a halt before a den much larger than the rest.

There were wolves everywhere, Kate realized, much more then both packs combined she noticed with a frown.

Tempest stepped forward, "My dear, we have guests, two of which are wounded, one has been poisoned…"

An elegant, gold and silver she wolf exited the den with a frown.

"Bring them inside and send of an Orlando flower, it will cure the poison, we will also need a…"

The gold and silver she wolf stopped as she noticed Daren.

"Da-Daren…" Tears surged to the she wolfs eyes.

"My sweet little girl…" The beautiful she wolf took a step, and seemed to appear inches away from Daren.

Kate jumped, and Faith sighed.

"Great, what does this one do," she said with annoyance.

Kate gave her a look to be quiet and watched Daren closely.

"Hello mother…" Daren said quietly.

The she wolf sobbed and grabbed her daughter in a fierce embrace, tears streaming down her face.

Daren stood as still as the stone that enclosed the land, staring intently at the rocky ground.

"Grace, my dear, there will be time for that later," Tempest said in a polite voice.

"Oh, right," Grace said with a sniffle, releasing her daughter reluctantly.

Grace turned to Kate, "Hello my dears, it's nice to meet you." She turned to Humphrey and Flare and frowned, "Is Bella…"

Tempest nodded and indicated toward Humphrey, "This one's poisoned and is in need of the Orlando."

Grace nodded, and disappeared.

"Where the hell did she go!" Faith said in surprise.

Tempest laughed, "She went to get the cure of your friends poison."

"No, I mean, she just disappeared." Faith said in disbelief.

"My mate moves quickly," Tempest replied.

There was a soft thud in the air as Grace reappeared, a white flower in her mouth.

"I alerted Eleanor as well, she will tend to them,"

Tempest nodded.

Grace smiled grimly and put the flower in her mouth and began to chew. She spat the pasty, partially chewed flower onto the ground and dipped one of her long claws into it.

"Bella, you can leave him now," Grace said with a frown.

"Okay," Bella replied sweetly from Flare and Humphrey, before Humphrey crashed to the ground, no longer under Bella's control.

Grace walked over to Humphrey and quickly slipped her claw into Humphrey's neck carefully.

Grace shook the blood from her nail and smiled at Kate, "He will be fine my dear, your mate will live to see another day."

Kate nodded her thanks and began to cry in joy, they were safe, and Humphrey would live.

The sky seemed to cry with her… Kate smiled.

**Hope you enjoyed it, sorry for the long ass delay.**

**~Bravobravo**


	11. Comeback

**The following was written and posted from the notepad on my iPhone, please forgive any errors. Enjoy. ~Bravobravo**

**Chapter 11: Comeback**

Stormy rolled her eyes with a sigh as Eve continued to reprimand her.

"You are far to young to be doing things like that!" Eve screamed for the sixth time.

Stormy snapped her attention back to Eve with a growl.

"I'll be seven months before the next full moon," she spat with venom.

"I don't care if you were going to be a year by the next full moon, you are still to young!"

"You're right Eve! I forgot that I had to be a shriveled old prune like you before I can have sex!"

"Shriveled old prune? Who are you calling a shriveled old prune?" Eve screeched in reply.

Stormy smiled slyly "You, now why don't you go lie down before you blow away, you damn fossil."

Eve's right eye twitched in annoyance, her mouth slightly agape, before screaming in response with renewed vigor...

Haze groaned unhappily, with all the noise Eve and his sister were making at the front of the den, it was impossible to sleep.

He didn't have the faintest clue to how late it was, but it had been dark for more then a couple hours, as his eyes burned, and the moon sat high above the world.

"She is kind of old..." Glacier commented quietly.

Haze grunted in agreement, focused on the den ceiling.

"Well I can't believe Stormy actually did something with Orro..." Crystal nearly whispered.

"You're just jealous," Glacier chuckled.

His soft chuckling turned into quiet sobbing as Crystal kicked him hard in the abdomen.

"You're an old coot! Old, old, old! You could be older then Helen! And your wrinkles! My god! You are the queen of prunes!" Stormy screamed at the top of lungs.

The three pups sighed as they continued to watch the verbal onslaught from the back of the den.

"STOP, CALLING, ME, A, PRUNE!" Eve raged, her eyes looking ready to burst from her skull.

"Ppprrruunnneee," Stormy raged.

Eve was about to respond similarly when Allen walked into the den chuckling.

"Winston says that's enough for now Eve, no one can sleep."

Eve huffed angrily before turning and leaving the deb without a glance at Stormy.

Allen sighed "Well, sleep tight kids,"

"We aren't kids," Stormy replied sharply.

Allen faked a look of realization before replying in a sarcastic tone "Of course you aren't, silly mistake, forget I said it. After all, children can choke on small objects, something you didn't seem to have a problem with, Stormy."

Stormy gawked angrily as Haze and Glacier's obnoxious laughter erupted from the back of the den.

Allen chuckled at his own wit, turned, and walked out of the den.

Stormy muttered unhappily before retreating to the back of the den, lying with her siblings before giving Glacier and Haze a hard kick.

Stormy recapped the past events in her head unhappily. The moment after they had been "discovered," Orro had been rushed back to his den, and Stormy had nearly been dragged back to hers.

That night Stormy thought Eve and her were going to actually fight...

However that was two nights ago and they hadn't killed each other yet.

Stormy frowned, two nights she had been kept inside this stuffy den, her food being brought to her like an incapable pup.

"I'm not staying here tomorrow," she whispered to herself, "I can do what I want," she rebelliously thought to herself before drifting into a dreamless nights sleep.

* * *

><p>Garth gasped for air as Snow tore him from his icy cage.<p>

His heart raced and his vision blurred, but the first thought that came to his semi conscious mind was that of his mate...

"Lily!" he screamed, still out of breath.

The sky seemed to reply with a wave of merciless ice and wind.

Garth stumbled to his feet, the panic rising yet again.

"Where is she," he nearly shouted.

Snow looked hard at the powdery ground below her...

"She's gone, Garth..."

"What do you mean, gone?" he snarled.

"They took her..." she replied with sadness.

Garth took a fleeting glance at the surrounding woods before turning back at Snow, hateful curiosity in his eyes.

"Who?"

"I do not know their name, but I do know that they are blood thirsty savages who would constantly raid the northern territory..."

Snow looked at him somewhat intensely before continuing "...but Garth listen to me, you can't go after her right now, If you did, you would die without question."

"Do you expect me to simply leave my mate for dead?" he seethed.

Snow shook her head sadly, the blizzard around them growing in strength. "I don't expect you to do anything other then fulfill the reason you started this journey in the first place, for."

"I do know however, that if you run after her now, you throw away any chance the Eastern and Western packs have of surviving... I can't let you do that Garth, my pups are back there..."

Garth's heated persona died instantly as he understood what Snow was saying, his expression becoming harder then the ice around him.

"Once we get to the Northern pack and you complete your task of gaining aid for the Eastern and Western packs, we will help you get her back Garth." Snow said with confidence.

"Who do you think you are?" he screamed, "I'm going after Lily, I've already lost one family member, and I won't lose another."

"You aren't going after her Garth..." Snow replied, dropping into an offensive position.

Garth chuckled darkly "You honestly think you can go up against me and win? Besides, I'm not going to fight you Snow, go home to your pups and tell Winston to send someone else."

"That's unfortunate Garth," Snow responded, getting lower to the ground and backing up slightly, "...because I WILL fight you."

Snow was becoming harder and harder to notice amongst the pounding winds and blanket of failing ice and powder.

"I can still see you, Snow," Garth pointed out angrily.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this," she sighed.

Garth was about to reply when he realized, with a hint of unsettling fear, he could no longer see Snow.

"I don't have time for this," he muttered ominously before turning and trudging through the deep snow, toward the woods.

"Neither do my pups." A voice whispered from his left before Snow slammed into his side, quickly pinning him.

Snow placed a cold paw on his throat and applied the rest of her weight to his chest as he struggled.

"You don't fight fair..." Garth insulted as he ceased his struggle.

"No... I don't," she whispered in his ear before pushing hard on his throat.

Garth flinched as he began to lose consciousness.

"We will save her Garth, but not now,"

Garth submitted a single tear for his seemingly gone mate, before the lack of air took its toll, his mind betraying his heart as he blacked out.

* * *

><p>His heart beat softly, his organs slowly restarting.<p>

His mind flashed trough multiple thoughts, most of which were focused on the imminent danger his home was in...

He couldn't let them die, he wouldn't let them die...

His heart beat again, gaining strength as the foreign substance in his body was located and eliminated.

The blood began to flow, faster with every strengthening beat of his heart.

How could he save his home? His friends? His mate? There seemed to be no reasonable option, other then of course, to kill the reason his home was in danger in the first place.

But how... He was weak, injured, inexperienced...

His mind sent a pulse through his body, as If to tell the rest of him he was waking up...

The thoughts began to sharpen as the realization of what he needed to do began to pump through his veins.

The Reaper would continue to kill unless he himself was put to rest... And he would be the one to do it...

He would train until the point of exhaustion, his strive to protect all he knew would fuel him in his motives.

The heart began to race, the nerves in his body begging to race up the length of his spine...

He would take all the pain, sadness, hopelessness, suffering, and hatred in his body...

And use it to rip out his throat...

The body finished its seemingly impossible comeback as the young wolf opened his eyes.

Humphrey smiled.


	12. Good morning!

I haven't been on this site for quite a while. I work under a different website now, and commission in my spare time.

I owe it to all my fans to finish this story. Despite the tedious reminder of how awful I use to be at writing, I will try my best to finish this story.

Let me know what you thought.

Regards, Bravo.

Chapter 12: Good morning!

**XHumphreyX**

The next step came with more the pain then the last, but he could walk, at least that. It had taken a great amount of effort for the wolf to move his fragile self from the middle of the spacious den, to the entrance.

With the dread of not being able to exit the den firm in his mind, he surged his right paw forward, surprised when he found himself strolling to the bright outside. In fact, he wasn't strolling...the actions were involuntary.

Fear recoiled upon exiting the den, the distance now seemingly so meager, as the ability to walk without struggle left his body, along with a presence of some sort...

"You're awake! Good morning sleepy head!" Cried a grey and white she wolf.

Humphrey squinted as the sun assaulted his unadjusted eyes, focusing on the child in front of him... Well he thought she was a child, she couldn't be more then a pup.

"Hi...you..." he said with a flush. The girl looked so familiar, yet he could not remember her name, or recall when they had met. Yet there was something, off, about this wolf. As if something was missing. With all the doubts and self denying fears that spawned from the familiar, no named wolf in front of him, he could not help but feel... connected with the "stranger".

"You don't remember me! How rude! I saved your life silly!" The wolf exclaimed with a high pitched giggle.

Definitely a child...

I'm sorry," he replied with an embarrassed frown, "I don't remember much, and that of what I do is broken and faint."

"That would be my fault, that tends to happen to those I bond with..." She replied with yet another girlish laugh.

"Bond?"

"Yes, bond. In order to save you, I had to... borrow you. Of course, I gave you back, mommy always said never to keep was wasn't mine,"

"I don't understand... What was your name again?"

The child rolled her light blue eyes as she smiled wide, "I'm Bella, and your Humphrey. The gold one is your heart, the red one mimics fire, and the blue one has such a pretty name, but not the kindest outlook on life..."

"Faith, Flare...and Kate..." He said in realization, they were here with him...

"You can see them soon, don't worry! Well, actually, I'm not sure if you can speak with Flare, I think his throat is still severed."

"What!" Humphrey shouted in sudden fear and angst.

Bella chuckled, "I like to yell too! You're fun Humphrey, we are going to be friends."

Humphrey ignored her remark and stared with a demanding expression stretched across his face, "What did you say is wrong with Flare?"

"You're hearing is bad silly...must be the remainder of the poison... I said that Flare's throat was nearly torn out. Don't worry though, he will live."

The whole concept of having ones throat torn out and surviving was to much to comprehend at the moment, as long as he would live...

"...Where are we?" He asked, he heart rate returning to normal.

"So many questions! Well for me, I'm home, for you...Well I'm not sure what you would call it here. Salvation? Safety? Freedom? However you decide to name it, there is no darkness here, only light. And flowers... so many pretty flowers. Would you like to see my flowers Humphrey? You must be hungry as well."

Humphrey stared at his surroundings with shock, the new environment only making itself apparent now. The land was extremely beautiful...and green. Great stretches of grass sprouted up here and there, and in the distance stood a great stone wall. To his left rose great masses of rock with multiple openings, obviously dens. He could just barely make out a crystal blue lake in the distance...

"Isn't it so pretty? I love it here...so pretty...With pretty flowers too! Follow me Humphrey, I want you to see my flowers. Then I'll take you to your golden mate..."

In all honesty, Humphrey couldn't care less about the flowers, but the idea of seeing Kate was enough reason for him to agree.

Of course, his current condition reared its painful head once more as the notion of walking too hold.

Seeing him cringe, Bella smiled, "Here, let me help..."

The fur on the back of his neck stood straight as the presence from earlier returned with much more force. It felt as if a hard rain was covering his body. Making him heavier...

"Don't forget to breathe silly!" She giggled, the outward feeling of pressure vanishing at once.

At the sound of her voice, however, Humphrey had the most insane urge to say the same thing, at the same time... He knew what she would say before she said it...

"You're lucky I've gotten so good at using my gift... It use to really hurt...made me forget my flowers sometimes..." She spoke softly, looking out into empty space...

Humphrey was prepared this time, and as her words ran down from her coherent thoughts to the tip of her tongue, he reminded himself that he was in control...It seemed to help a lot.

"I don't understand," He said shakily, "What exactly is your gift?"

Bella turned from him and began to stroll toward the lake in the distance, Humphrey's movements completely copying her own. He didn't have control of his legs, that much was certain.

"I told you silly, I can borrow people, or at least that's what Tempest calls it. I can borrow someone and use them, of course always giving it back. Though, I could keep them if I wanted to... I've kept a few Demons before... Though by that point it really isn't them anymore. They are long gone, wiped of everything they are it seems... But it's really hard to keep another wolf... and I would never keep you Humphrey, I could never recreate how you are, silly that is!" She finished her extremely creepy sentence with another giggle and picked up the pace of her walk slightly.

Words could not explain the amount of insecurity Bella's remark had injected him with, but the moment she had mentioned Demons, he knew exactly what she meant, and it wasn't just because he could feel her thoughts form...or her heart beat."

"By demons... you mean Diablo and his followers... right?" He asked nervously.

"Mhmm, they are bad men though, don't waste your thoughts on them...focus on the flowers..."

"You keep mentioning these flowers..." He indirectly questioned.

"You will see them soon Humphrey, don't worry. There is nothing more beautiful in all the world then my flowers... Sometimes I just watch them... Listen to them grow, and live... It's very relaxing."

"How do you listen to a flower?"

Bella smiled sadly, "That is something you will never be able to do, unfortunately. Well, you will hear them, anyone with ears could, but not the way I do. Actually, maybe one day... If Tempest decides to give you the gift..."

"A gift?"

"Mhmm," was all the child like wolf said not another word, or thought created at the topic of discussion.

A cleansing collision of wind gripped at Humphrey's chest. He had never felt so alive then he did now. The shining sun and crystal blue sky definitely improved ones mood.

The two wolves entered a thin span of woods, the lake growing larger every minute...

_"How big can it be?"_

**"**It's pretty big..." Bella said quietly._  
><em>

"What?" Humphrey asked, feeling exposed.

"You asked me how big the lake could possibly be," She replied in a sweet tone.

"No I didn't..."

"Oh, well you thought it,"

"You can read my thoughts?... So you're just like Daren?" Humphrey asked, slightly shocked.

"Oh no, I only see the colors of your thoughts, because we are currently bonded. Daren doesn't have to bond to see somebodies thoughts, and she certainly doesn't just see the colors, she sees everything. She can look so much deeper you know? At your very soul... She told me once that to do that was a major invasion of privacy, I mean, can you imagine feelings and emotions, thoughts and secrets only felt at the center of a wolf's soul? It must be quite the experience... I wonder what your soul looks like Humphrey?"

"I'm sure it looks like the average soul..." Humphrey responded with ignorance.

_"What the hell does a soul look like? How am I supposed to know? The most personal thing I can tell about a person is the color of their fur..."_

Bella erupted into a bout of childish bliss, "Oh Humphrey, the average soul? Every soul is different, unique, I don't have to be capable of prying you open and looking straight at it to know that. I think your soul is beautiful, maybe even more so then my flowers. That's why I like you Humphrey, your personality is just a dim reflection of your soul. And if your personality is only a dim image, as bright as it is. Your soul must look like a star."

Humphrey smiled, the girl definitely how do scare someone, but she also knew flattery.

About to ask another question, Humphrey silenced his thoughts upon recognizing that they had arrived at the lake...the very large lake. The water was a shade of blue he had never seen before, and it seemed to reach from one side of the enclosed paradise to the opposite. A connecting crescent moon of diamond like water...

"Wow..." Humphrey said quietly, the words nowhere to be found...

"Wait until you see my flowers..." Bella said with a large smile.

Humphrey tore his attention from the lake and followed, well, let Bella remotely walk him after her.

Still, such an odd feeling.

Bella slowly walked up a slanted slope, revealing a patch of land that rose above the lake, and expanded over the water itself. A patio of risen grass.

Humphrey knew what they were there to see without Bella making so much as a peep.

The entire stretch of cliff like space was over populated with the strangest, and most delightful flowers he had ever seen.

They seemed to swirl upward in a vail of light blue, before erupting in a blossom of bright orange accompanied by streaks of a velvet. There were thousands of them, all gently moving with the gentle breeze that surrounded the lake, it was almost surreal.

However, an odd sound reached his ears, and the question erupted from his mouth before the thought formed completely in his mind.

"Are the flowers...ringing?"

Bella smiled, a hint of sadness tinted in her eyes, "Yes, I call it singing, isn't it the most breathtaking sound you have ever heard? It's so angelic..."

Humphrey couldn't believe it, as the flowers swayed in the breeze, they made the highest, but the most crystal clear sound he had heard in his life. It almost made him cry...

Some flowers were slightly taller then others, the streaks of velvet seemed to be more apparent on their petals. In fact, there were a few that were completely covered in velvet petals. And some that were velvet with pink.

Bella saw the confusion in his eyes and began her explanation with the soft stroking of a completely pink petaled flower. There was something, stronger about the pink ones...wiser...

_"How the hell can a flower be wise...I'm an idiot...yet again flowers don't make sound..."_ He thought quietly.

"You aren't an idiot," Bella confirmed softly, staring intently at the pink flower in front of her. "The color represents the flowers age. When they first bloom, they are completely black, as the soul is so worn and tired from the dark world we live in. However as it ages, the soul begins to purify and the flower starts to sing. That's when it turns orange. Then the steaks of velvet begin to appear, and after a very long time, they turn completely velvet and so on until they become completely pink with streaks of white. Until, finally, after what could be a thousand years, the flower becomes completely purified, and turns white. That's when the singing is the loudest. How long it takes all depends on how tired the soul was when it's host stopped working... When the flower reaches complete purification, it's time has come to an end, but will only truly vanish when it has passed on its ability."

Bella took a deep breath, and continued, the sadness in her voice growing more and more apparent.

"...The ability to make people special. My gift came from a flower, and yours will too, if Tempest allows it."

"Humphrey absorbed the information but couldn't shake his last bouts of confusion. "I don't understand, so one flower might make me fly and the other might make me breathe fire?" Looking around, Humphrey could only count a few white flowers, no more then thirty out of the thousands.

Bella giggled, "Breathe fire and fly? This is not a fairy tail,"

_"Seriously? You can take control of people, why not_ fly?"

"But to answer your question, no. The ability to receive the gift is in us all, the flower only helps us realize our souls true ability. I do not know what your gift would be, and there is no way to tell, it is different for everyone."

Humphrey nodded in slow understanding, but there was one more shrouded concept, one that had given him a sinking feeling since arriving...

"Two more questions Bella. You keep mentioning the 'soul', why? And why are there barely any black flowers?" Humphrey asked with the tilt of his head.

Bella shook her head gently before smiling sweetly, "There are only a few black flowers because my kind do not die easily. And the flower itself does not have a soul, the soul is no more then the essence of those who have passed. Humphrey... this is where we bury our dead."


	13. Why so glum?

Back.

Chapter 13: Why so glum?

**xXx Allen xXx**

"Let me get this straight..." Allen sighed, a faint smile of amusement still etched upon his face. "King just walked up to you, and invited you into his little circle of hoodlums and crannies? King, the one that sadistacally assaulted you... And you said yes?"

Haze stared stubbornly at the ground of the dark den, a hard frown giving him the appearance of a pouting pup.

"Yes..." He replied in an agitated tone.

Allen sighed, turning his attention to a still sniffling Glacier, the black circle around his eye couldn't be more obvious through his snow white fur.

Allen cleared his throat before continuing, "When your brother got upset at you for accepting this strange little alliance, you struck him in the face?"

Haze looked over to his brother with a snarl, "He called me an idiot,"

Glacier spoke slowly, his eyes never leaving the ground, "King has done nothing but hurt you, and now he wants to be your friend? Something is wrong here Haze and you know that... I just don't want you to get hurt..."

"Yea well fuck off," he spat.

"Watch your tongue..." Allen commanded, somewhat surprised by the brutality of the reply.

"Ok..." Glacier murmured, slowly standing up and exiting the den, a final sniffle giving away his clearly hurt feelings.

"You are in the wrong here Haze, and there was and is no reason for you to be spiteful toward your brother," Allen commented in a condescending tone.

"He got me in trouble,"

"No, you got yourself in trouble when one of the alphas watched you slap your brother hard enough to put him on the ground... Did you see his eye?"

"Good..."

"I have to say Haze... I'm very disappointed with you and your lack of empathy..." Allen sighed once again, he hated teenagers.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself? Anything at all?"

Haze smiled, "Yea, I do..."

"...and what exactly is that?"

Haze stood up and turned his back on the Alpha, "I should have broken his jaw instead."

Allen watched in disbelief as the suddenly spiteful wolf stormed out of the den... So temperamental...

* * *

><p><strong>xXx Stormy xXx<strong>

Stormy watched Glacier shuffle out of the ominous den...

What she had just witnessed was... Well it was strange to say the least. King suddenly liking Haze, the sudden shift in her two brothers relationship, Haze's somewhat scary reaction to Glacier's distaste in his brothers decision... The whole thing was off...

"How did it go..." Stormy asked gently as Glacier approached.

"He told me to fuck off..." Glacier replied sadly.

The entire situation grew more and more strange by the minute... Haze wasn't that kind of wolf...

"I'm sure he didn't mean it..." She cooed in optimistic compassion.

Glacier looked up at her with a hurt expression, "No Stormy... He meant it... When he, hit me... It wasn't playful, or even meant to shut me up. He hit me as hard as he could..."

Stormy tried to avoid looking at the extremely apparent black eye, but to no avail. "Everything will be alright Glacier, maybe he's just having a bad day..."

"Yes, I am having a bad day!" Haze shouted, quickly pacing to his siblings with a scowl in his eyes.

Stormy rolled her eyes, "Go away Haze, you obviously need time to cool down,"

Haze stopped a mere inch from Glacier and snarled, "I'm having a bad day, because our worthless piece of crap of a brother here, keeps trying to interfere with my life,"

Glacier looked at Haze for a moment and sniffled, his mood only worsening, "I wasn't trying to interfere man, I just... Don't want to watch you get hurt..." He said quietly.

"No, you were being a pain in the ass and I'm fed up with it, stay away from me or I promise you, the next time you piss me off I'll dye that pretty coat of yours red with your own fucking blood,"

Stormy was absolutely shocked... What had just transpired was... Incredibly unlike her brother and very worrying.

Another sniffle tore her attention away from her retreating brother, and back to the one about to cry.

"I'm f-fine," he replied shakily before she could ask.

Obviously an extremely weak liar...

Stormy nodded in fake belief, if her brother wanted to talk with her, he would.

"I'm going to g-go back home... I'm tired..." He almost whispered.

"We haven't had dinner yet though... Are you sure you don't want to grab a bite to eat with Orro and I?"

"You're allowed to see him after what you guys did a few days ago?"

Stormy shrugged, in all honesty, Eve would be livid if she found out...if. "No, not really, Eve just let me leave the den yesterday... But she won't find out, and neither will Orro's parents,"

"I'm good Stormy, I just want to sleep right now," Glacier responded with a pathetic yawn, giving his sister a small nudge before slowly walking away from the den.

Stormy gazed at the bright blue sky, the chill in the air was getting worse and once again she found herself missing her mother...

* * *

><p><strong>xXx Lily xXx<strong>

"Will you eat something today, little hare?" Clark asked in his usual tone of fake sincerity.

"No." She replied curtly. The lifestyle she had been violently thrown into was more then she could handle at the moment.

Upon being forced into humiliating submission, Lily had followed the obviously psychotic wolf for a little less then a day. The snow covered woods had grow increasingly thick, along with the air as they had continued to ascend to the top of the mount-mother.

...The "community" had a true disliking to anyone that called their model of worship a mountain instead of their own self proclaimed and clique title of "mother".

Clark chuckled, "You truly are stubborn my little hare but... Eventually your body will betray your proud little heart... I suggest you eat,"

"I suggest you shut that hole in your face before I rip you tongue out and eat that," She spat, refusing to move from her small corner in the snowy den.

"I love when you threaten me, it gives me chills... Such ignorance and pride... It truly is delicious..." Clark smiled thinly, revealing his rigid and broken teeth... Not the most attractive wolf, that was for sure.

A strong gust of wind forced itself through the den entrance, assaulting the two wolves inside with the nearly attic chill of the temperatures outside, which truly weren't that much better then that of the temperature in the cave itself.

"You know my mate will kill you," She seethed, refusing to meet her captors cold, attentive stare.

"If he's not already dead, yes there's the possibility that your mate will be the one to take my life, but it is highly unlikely... And besides, I do not fear death, little hare. From what I hear it's warmer then life,"

"Maybe you all wouldn't be so cold if you didn't live on top of this damn mountain, I mean really, what do you ea" No... She already knew the answer...

"I'm sorry, we live on top of what?"

Lily met his gaze with one influenced by such rage, it would scare the average wolf, however it only made Clark chuckle.

"Mother, I mean," she spoke through gritteted teeth. "And you know why I won't eat, you're all sick in the head..."

When the realization had first hit her, it seemed to revolting to be true, but she had seen it... smell it in the meat they brought her...

"No little hare, I don't think we are sick at all,"

"Then what are you, Clark!" Lily shouted in fury.

"You seem to have all the answers today, Lily, you tell me,"

Swallowing with difficultly, she retched the word from its reserved place in her mind, a place where things best forgotten slowly faded away... "Cannibals,"

* * *

><p><strong>xXx Cyan xXx<strong>

"You told me we were rid of them!"

The older wolf sighed unhappily, he hated upsetting his daughter... She looked more like her mother everyday, her sliver coat with extremely faint streaks of sky blue, her deep and currently angry bright violet eyes... And to think only ten months ago she was a feeble pup, stumbling all over the den... She would be a year in two moons... His little girl was almost full gro-

"Dad! Are you freaking listening to me? You promised me we were done involving ourselves in this idiotic war! The last time we "sent aid" we lost a good majority of our alphas!"

The old wolf chuckled, "Cyan my darling, when you yell at me like that, you can't possibly act more like your mother..."

"Stop changing the subject dad, this is serious. We have no reason to help these wolves and we just can't afford it... I mean, my god, we aren't even a territorial pack,"

"Technically we are part of the Southe-"

"No, we are not Southern wolves. We aren't obscenely large, our land doesn't look like a ugly, colorless wasteland, and we do not invade other packs. We are a neighbor to the south... That's all," Cyan finished with a huff.

She was right of course, as she always seemed to be. The southern territory was more of an oppressive self proclaimed neighbor that promised protection from any threat (this including themselves) for hunting rights, military support, and as in the current situation, a base of operations.

"In all reality Cyan, there's nothing we can do..."

"How about we tell them to leave? I'm tired of leaving my den to find land blemished with those big black bags of fur. And they are rude! They start fights with our own alphas... They aren't good for us Dad, they need to go," Cyan fumed.

"Sweetheart, dispite how much I admire the pride you have for your pack, and bravery, you are forgetting one major fact,"

"And what exactly is that?"

"The southern wolves have formed an alliance with those...other... Wolves, who obviously have an extremely large population, all of whom are very competent in battle,"

"...Damnit," How could she have forgotten those creeps? They came as they pleased, communicating with the remaining Southern pack officials, never staying for long. It had soon became apparent that the three groups of wolves were all involved in a metaphorical food chain. Her pack, being the smallest, was indirectly dictated by the straggling southern pack, and while the South had originally contacted the other wolves as a means of third party support, they had wound up subjecting themselves to the decisions of this mysterious community of wolves.

"I don't care... I just want them gone. The last time we got involved, mom died..."

The old wolf sighed unhappily once more, before embracing his daughter in an affectionate hug.

"I know sweetheart, I know. We just hav-"

His sentence cut off as a pack alpha burst into the den. "Sir! The other wolves have returned, but this time, there's some other wolf with them,"

Cyan growled in quiet irritation before breaking her fathers embrace and trotting toward the den entrance, maybe if she could make it into the sun she wouldn't be troubled by the conflicts and bad news of the world.

"Well who is it?" The old wolf snapped.

"We aren't for sure, Sir. But we heard one of the others call him Shadow,"

Cyan ignored it, just a few more steps and she would be out of the stuffy den, just a few more...

"We think it's their pack leader..."

Her heart sank just an inch from the welcoming and warm rays of the sun. So close...


	14. If It's Any Consolation

**Each chapter is home grown on zero preservatives and bone supporting vitamins! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 14: If it's Any Consolation...**

**xXx Humphrey xXx**

The young wolf's feet strike against the dirt in a rhythmic, yet frantic sprint. His surroundings go without notice, his attention focused completely on the approaching target. Nothing was going to stop him, come Hell or high water. This kill was his, and he simply couldn't wait to pounce on the unsuspecting prey and... Hug her.

"H-Humphrey?! Oh God Humphrey!" Kate stammers in confusion as her mates tongue slides across her face.

"I'm. So. Glad. To. See. You," Humphrey excites between kisses.

"I was so nervous! I thought we were going to lose you! I thought I was going to lose you!" Kate replies with a quiver of her lip, before reluctantly falling into tears.

The two mates collapse to the ground in a melancholy collage of tearful rejoicing and unsettled laughter, obviously unaware of the spectating crowd.

"I told you he wouldn't die!" Faith gloats with a sharp grin.

"Don't hate on me for showing, dare I say, emotion!" Flare rebuttles with a roll of his eyes. "Emotion! By God, why whatever could that be? Let me explain it to you, my dear, because of it you have none."

"Don't be a smart ass and just accept that I was right and you were wrong. I guess that flower of your's really work. Huh, Daren?" Faith smiles widely.

Daren chuckles with satisfied resolution "I couldn't let him die, now could I?"

"Yea, that would be a buzz kill..." Flare intercepts in unease.

"So this is the infamous Humphrey." A commanding voice questions with authority.

"If by infamous, you mean, the guy who we hauled to the moon and back so some God forsaken poisonous berry wouldn't put him in the ground... Then yes, that would be him." Faith answers from a usual, satirical point of view.

Tempest smiles at the blissfully ignorant lovers, before giving the fleeting sky a worried glance. The clouds flew at dangerous speeds, trying to outrun the black and threatening storm cloud the bit at its heels.

"I do hate to disturb this, lovely, reunion. But I do believe a storm is about to break. Right over our heads, unfortunately." Tempest states softly, gaining the attention of the sprawling starstruck lovers.

Faith scoffs in a sarcastic tone, "Gee, what gave it away? The giant clap of thunder we heard moments ago, or the fact that the cloud above us looks like a tornado out for blood?"

Flare kicks his chuckling mates leg in silence. "You are so rude, my God. No one else is laughing, but you."

Faith seemed to absorb the comment, slowly examining the tired and stony expressions around her, before erupting into laughter harder than before. "Since when do I give a fuck?" She cackles, tears brimming in her eyes.

Kate shakes her head with a slight giggle fading from her face, before truly acknowledging the elders comment about the worsening weather, and rising from the place next to her mate.

"Humphrey, wasn't Bella behind you?" Tempest asks as the grey wolf lifts himself from the ground.

"Actually, she was. That's strange, she was right behind me, ah, sir? I'm sorry, I don't believe we have met." Humphrey stammers in slight embarrassment.

"I do believe you're right. My name is Tempest, and I am the lead alpha of this territory." Tempest nods in introduction.

"Plot twist!" Faith interrupts, tears now running down her face, "He's Daren's father, and he can move shit. Like, with his mind!"

"Thank you, for that." Tempest follows with a chuckle of his own.

Daren giggles at the expression of shock on her young friend's face. "I'll tell you everything I have told the others, but let's do so inside. We just saved your life, we can't have a strong wind blowing you off the side of this slope."

Humphrey nods in acceptance, before following the small group into shelter, Kate close to his side.

* * *

><p><strong>xXx Stormy xXx<strong>

Rain vibrates through the air outside the warm den, sending a slight chill into the uncomfortable environment. Glacier stood at the far end of the living quarters, avoiding his brother's harsh gaze, who sat at the opposite end of the room.

"Can't you two just make up already?" Stormy asks through the eerie silence.

"No. Fucking faggot can go jump off a cliff." Haze seethes with spite.

Stormy sighs in defeat. It had been almost a month since Haze's introduction to King's inner circle, and in the short amount of time allotted, it had begun to change her brother in the worst ways possible. His language had grown vulgar, he was volatile, and he had joined the territory bandwagon among all alphas to treat Glacier like the pariah of the population. Insults, slanderous rumors, and even the occasional physical bullying, Haze had helped induce it all.

Glacier, on the other hand, had suffered a personality switch of his own. He had become anti social, submissive, afraid and quiet. Nothing Stormy said would cheer him up, and she had tried everything.

"Haze, you can't honestly be mad at him for scoring better than you on an alpha demonstration, can you? I mean, if you showed up for class every once and a while, you would know how to properly stalk, where the vital points on prey are and all the jazz. But instead you run off with that dirty King boy and do God knows what in the woods. You can't blame anyone but yourself, brother." Stormy states in a matter of face tone.

"Shut up Stormy." Haze mutters in denial.

"She IS right," Crystal interjects without much care. She preferred not to involve herself in the dramatic affairs of her brothers.

"You can shut up too, Crystal. Both of you should quit trying to defend him, it's made him the pussy he is today." Haze spits with venom.

"He's not a pussy. You're just an angry little brute." Crystal retaliates with a smirk.

"Oh he's not? Is he? Well, we will see about that. Stand up bro, let's show our sisters how brave you are!" Haze orders in a threatening tone, moving from his end to the den and approaching his silent sibling.

"Enough, Haze." Stormy commands in slight panic.

"What? I'm not going to do anything, I'm just going to prove to you and the Bitch that our brother is a wimp, that's all." Haze replies in a sense of innocence, staring down at his slightly smaller brothers with an evil grin.

"Stand up and hit me." Haze nearly whispers.

The three siblings watch as Glacier slowly rises to his feet, and begins walking past his brother, in a notion to leave the den.

"Oh no, no, no, no." Haze chuckles before knocking his brother to the ground and dragging him back to his starting point.

"Stop it Haze, I'm not kidding." Stormy nearly yells to her brother, hopping to her feet as well.

"Just let me go, Haze." Glacier mumbles, catching the attention of all in the room.

Haze seems to mull on the request for a moment, before shrugging, and stepping aside. Only to tackle his brother again as he stands up.

Glacier shows no emotion upon hitting the floor, perhaps a fleeting look of solemn, but nothing more.

"Comon do something!" Haze screams in amazement.

Glacier slowly stands up, and meets his brothers eye with a look of depression. "Haze, what do you think father would say. About the way you're behaving."

Stormy lurched forward at the comment, already knowing the outcome. It came as no surprise when Haze retaliated with force. What did surprise the sister, however, was the severity of the retaliation.

Without warning, Haze had torn into his brother with raw blood lust, biting as many times as he could before Stormy pinned him.

"Have you gone insane!" Stormy screamed at Haze from atop of him.

"You heard what that little bitch said! I'll fucking kill him!" Haze screamed in equal rage.

Stormy turned to glimpse the current condition of her injured brother, only to find him swaying, but quickly walking toward the den entrance.

"Crystal! Go get Eve, right now!" Stormy shouts through Haze's profanity.

Crystal nods in obedience before sprinting from the cave, not a seconds hesitation.

Stormy turned her head at the sound of collapse, quickly sighting her brother, who lay still just outside the den.

In the moment of worry, Haze seized his opportunity and struck his sister across the face, sending his sprawling to the ground next to him, and giving him time to sprint after his badly injured brother.

The world spun for a few moments only settling when a blur of a white mass skidded through the cave floor, streaks of blood stretching from start to finish.

"You're going to kill him!" Stormy pleads with a cry, holding her head from the internal twister. It was hard to see straight.

Her vision clarified just in time to see Haze approach the heaving ball of bloody fur, startling her when Glacier sprung to his feet and clawed Haze across the face in obvious self defense.

Stormy knew the mark had been struck as blood splattered across the den floor, and Haze collapsed to the ground.

Glacier groaned weakly, a soft sob running past his lips. His upper body was riddled with gashes and bite marks, and blood drizzled out of a cut dangerously close to his neck.

Moments from inquiring about how bad the injuries were, Haze regained his ground and pounced on his bleeding brother, blood now running from four deep cuts below the left eye.

Haze snapped his attention to his preparing sister, and placed his paws carefully around Glaciers neck. "If you try to pin me again, I'll crush his fucking windpipe."

Stormy stared in silence, and defeat. "Please don't hurt him, Haze. He's already losing so much blood."

Haze growled in aggravation, before pushing ever so slightly. Just enough.

Glacier coughed, panic slowly etching through his wounded body. Haze was applying more and more pressure, and it was getting harder to breathe.

"Haze! Stop! You're fucking killing him! What the fuck is wrong with you that's your brother!" Stormy screamed in pleading.

Glacier gags in suffocation, tears welling in his eyes. It would only make himself look weaker, in his brother's eyes, to cry. But his vision was starting to fade, from lack of air or blood, it didn't matter, he was afraid.

"Aw, are you crying now? You're a little bitch you know that?" Haze mocks with a sneer.

Haze pushed for one second longer, before preparing for a final swipe to the face. However as the claws fell, Glacier moved his face downward, allowing the blade like nails to bite through the top half of Glacier's right ear.

The scream that filled the den was nothing short of a nightmare. Even Haze immediately removed himself from his brother, fear strong in his eyes.

Glacier retreated into a ball of bloodied fur and tortured, agonized screams, his paw firmly pressed against his now maimed ear.

Stormy looked for words, even actions, but could find none. She could do nothing but stare, and shake.

"I... I didn't... I don't... What have I done..." Haze whispered to himself in self acceptance as he tearfully glanced around the bloody den, the decapitated piece of his brother's ear caught his attention, and immediately induced vomiting.

Eve burst through the front of the den, Allen and Winston following seconds later. The scene obviously took the elder by surprised, as she seemed at a loss for words. Even Winston and Allen could do no more than to stare blankly around the room. However, no matter their initial reaction, all three adults held the same response upon spying Glacier, whose fur shined so deeply with crimson, that his coat could be mistaken for being red.

"Oh my God..." Winston muttered in shock as Eve immediately reached for the sobbing wolf.

"His throat hasn't been punctured, but there are gashes all over his body and... The... The top right of his ear has been... removed..." Eve stated slowly, a look of nausea resting upon her face as well. "Allen, go get Hellen, this instant. Please hurry. And do not allow Crystal up here, she does not need to see this. And you." Eve nearly snarled, looking at Haze with hellfire, "You will go with my husband this instant."

"But I..."

"GO!" Eve screamed in a scary rage.

Haze scurried to the front of the den, and averted the pack leaders disgusted stare before following him into the night.

"Stormy, come here." Eve commanded in panic.

Stormy hesitated for a moment, before reluctantly approaching her sobbing brother.

"Everything is going to be alright, Glacier. See? Your sister is right here, and we aren't going to go anywhere. You are going to be OK." Eve whispered in uncertainty after a small glance up and down his bloody form.

Glacier stared mournfully at his sister, tears streaming down his face, "S-Stormy. I'm s-scared."

Stormy turned away from her brothers stare, refusing to allow him the sight of her crying as well. She was scared too, but she would not let him know.

"You're going to be fine, Glacier, I promise. You just have to, you know, b-be strong." Stormy struggled.

Hellen rushed into the den, panting heavily, and nearly fainted from the sight.

"What in the world happened in here!" Hellen asked in horror.

Eve looked back at the territory healer with a look of fury, "Haze chopped off his brother's fucking ear!"


	15. A Midnight Stroll

**Dear reviewers,**

** I love you all, with my entire being. However, when you leave me feedback, let it be... Well... Feedback. I'd love to hear what you thought about the chapter, likes and dislikes, suspicions and hopes, I love it all. Just something other then... "YOU'RE NOT DEAD! YAY!" Because although that brings a smile to my face, it doesn't help my writing and therefor, you. **

**With love, Bravo**

**Chapter 15: A Midnight Stroll**

**xXx Cyan xXx**

The moon floats easily in the sky, and snow falls softly through the woods. The wolf treads carefully behind enemy lines, prepared to flee at the first sound of contact.

"This is so dangerous Cyan. We could get into trouble, or even worse, be killed by a patrol team... We should go back." An anxious friend pleads with a whisper.

"We'll be fine Jenny, to the Western and Eastern packs, we don't even exist. Worst comes to worst, we say we were just passing trough." Cyan replies not unkindly.

"And if they are aware that we have been offering shelter and food to the remnants of the Southern pack? Or the wolves from far west that smell like death. Then what? Beg?"

"You worry so much, I'm starting to think you get a thrill from it," Cyan teases with a grin as the two girls stalk through the woods.

The two friends continued through the trees, before entering a large clearing, containing nothing less than the dens off the Eastern wolves themselves.

"OK, now we can turn around, I think we are a bit to close," Cyan chuckles at her friend's horrified expression.

"You think!? Oh my God we are so dead!" Jenny seethes softly.

Cyan dismisses the comment, turning away from the clearing and heading back into the forest.

"...We are lost... Aren't we?" Jenny asks in aggravation.

"Maybe, it looks like we are coming up on another clearing. I think I hear water..." Cyan states blankly, walking slightly faster.

The clearing offered no direction, but plenty of opportunities. A large body of water stretched across the opening, surrounded by large rocks and a steep waterfall that supplied the pool ran off a nearby ridge.

"This is awesome!" Cyan exclaimed slightly loudly.

"Are you insane? Please don't tell me you're getting any ideas, the water must be freezing!" Jenny whined.

Her friends only reply was to leap head first into the still water with a soft squeal.

Jenny sighed in defeat as she watched her friend swim around the base of the waterfall, and slowly brought herself to a large rock that reached over the top of the lake. Another stone cast it's vintage point in shadow, giving it a den like feel, and a safe hiding spot of a sort. However, she did not notice the sleeping form a few feet behind her.

"I dare you to jump!" Cyan yells up to her friend.

"Cyan shut up! You're going to get us killed! We have to be-" Jenny'a voice dropped to a low whisper, and her stature froze. "Cyan... There's someone up here. Get up here. Help me! He's gonna wake up and kill me!"

The amusement seemed to fleet from Cyan's face at the mention of not being alone, and quickly made her way to her frightened friend.

The white fur rose and fell with every breath, but it was clear the obvious male wolf had been injured. Recently.

"You made it sound like a bloody thirsty alpha was staring you I'm the face! He looks our age, and I don't think he's in any condition to kill you. Look at all the bite marks... Someone got at him good," Cyan stated in gentle curiosity, slowly edging forward.

"I think... I think half of his ear is gone..." Jenny pointed out in slight fear.

"You're right, it so is! You know... He's kinda cute. Look how white his fur is an..." Cyan's sentence was cut short as the wolf slowly opened his eyes in an exhausted haze.

The young wolf was up in an instant, his back pressed firmly against the stone wall behind him, and he smelled fearful.

"You scared him!" Jenny scolded Cyan with slight amusement.

"Who are you?" He said weakly, the anxious look still heavy in his tired gaze.

Cyan smiled warmly, "My name is Cyan, and this is my friend Jenny... We aren't going to hurt you..."

Jenny waved slowly, smirking slightly at the boy's withdrawn behavior.

"You aren't from this territory" he managed with a whisper, shaking slightly.

"Yea... We are just passing through, we dob't have any alignments... Listen, are you alright? You don't look very well..." Cyan notices at the sight of one of the boy's cuts bleeding slightly.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine... Just tired..." The boy replies, slowly lying down.

Cyan and Jenny exchanged a quick look before approaching the white wolf and sitting adjacent to him.

"What happened to you?" Cyan nearly blurted.

"Don't be nosey!" Jenny scolds yet again, eyeing the boy down with sympathy.

"I'm not being nosey! But half of his ear is missing!" Cyan replies slightly inconsiderately.

"I got in a fight..." He said quietly.

"Did... Ah.. Ya win?" Jenny asks with failed comic relief.

Cyan sighs at her friends hypocritical persona and avoids the obvious reply, "What were you fighting? A bear?"

"No. My brother." He stated curtly, staring intently at the cold stone floor.

"Your brother did this to you? You poor thing!" Cyan comforts, walking toward the nervous boy, and sitting directly to his left.

"Slut" Jenny coughed.

Cyan cast her friend an evil look and nuzzled closer to the new, and now uncomfortable friend.

"So what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be somewhere warm?"

"I'm suppose to be in my healers den... But I don't sleep well there. I do here, for some reason..." He replied with the closing of his eyes, most likely enjoying the warmth emitting from the female next to him.

"He's so cute!" Jenny mouths to her friend in silence.

"Come join the party," Cyan invites, pointing to the wolf's other side.

Jenny chuckled before taking her place next to the mysterious boy.

"He's falling asleep on us!" Jenny giggles through the darkness.

"He's tired, leave him be... But before you do pass out, what's your name?" Cyan questioned softly in his ear.

The boy smiled softly, and replied before drifting off into sleep, "Glacier."


	16. It's a Long Way Down

**Chapter 16: It's a Long Way Down**

**xXx Humphrey xXx**

"So just to clarify... The Southern pack is basically one pentagram short of a devil worshiping cult and you, the all so noble and just Northern pack worship the Wolf in the sky in return for powers...or whatever." Faith asks between squinted eyes.

"Always so eloquent." Flare mutters under his breath.

The sky shakes and trembles from the force of the thunder that reverberates through the clouds, the lightning illuminating the storm in a solemn glow.

"A very rudimentary explanation to a very complex situation." Tempest chuckles. "You see it's much more business like, in return for the gift and innate ability to transact, so to speak, with those who have gone before us and therefor withdraw our abilities from them, we... Promise ourselves, our souls, to our... Trying to find a word that you could relate to easier is proving difficult-"

"God?" Humphrey pipes up with a risen brow.

"That fits the bill pretty well." Daren smiles uneasily, eyes focused on the shadows that the bright fire cast upon the cave walls.

"However it's not simply a means to power of longevity," Tempest continues, "We do so because it is our belief, our desire to serve this God of ours... A trading of ones soul for power... That sums up our Southern relatives nicely."

"So in order to bring us to equal ground, one capable of countering the tricks and trades of the south, we have to sell our souls to this god?" Faith asks, obviously unhappy with the condition.

"I had a feeling that would be a...predicament..." Daren says slowly.

"I never really considered myself religious... I mean... Truthfully I figured that once we die we, well, we die. We cease to exist." Kate interjects, lost in thought. "It's slightly overwhelming to all take in."

"And it's not like we can doubt the theory considering the facts already shown to us." Flare shrugs.

"I think I understand, to a degree." Humphrey states with a nod. "The whole business aspect of it that is. The spiritual part leaves me with a lot of questions... Like what happens to those of us who don't sell our souls? Just the average wolf? What happens to them? And what happens to the wolves who sell their souls?"

Tempest seems to ponder the question, mulling on it slowly. "The continuation of existence, when dealing with those of whom seller their souls, is mostly up to the discretion of who it was we sold them too. Of what that discretion is,no one knows. However it is a general rule of thumb that things after death are, well, better with the God of the north, when compared to the god of the south. As for what happen to those who take no part in the ritual, every wolfs soul is claimed by one party eventually. I suppose it depends on the kind of wolf they were... However it is not my place to judge others or assume their fate... And before another question is asked, I suppose I should answer the one prior. The decision on whether or not you want to take part in our ritual is yours alone, it will not be required for you to receive the gifts you need."

"How else can we get them?" Kate asks curiously, the dead silence of the den only being disturbed by the sound of falling rain and burning wood.

"Due to the circumstances of the mounting conflict between the north and south, there are roundabout ways for this to be accomplished. We will be overseeing the passing of gifts from our pack elders, unto yourselves. This way, the transaction of soul for grant will still be completed, within the elders. Their gifts however will continue in you." He replies, strangely disconnected.

"If that's the case why not do this for the rest of your pack? Why only for us? Is everyone, exempting us, required to partake in your beliefs?" Faith questions abruptly.

"Because obtaining the gift in this fashion is very costly," Daren answers with a frown.

"What's the cost?" Humphrey inquires.

"The process of passing on a gift from one living individual to another renders the givers soul, incomplete... Trapped... Until the death of the recipient. Their souls will stay in a state of limbo until restored upon your deaths. Basically, it prevents them from obtaining the one thing they want most, to move on to the next world. And... The possibility of their souls getting lost beyond recovery is always a risk."

"So we'll be sheltering the soul of some old codger inside our own?" Faith asks.

"You're going to be an, 'old codger' one day too, you know." Flare adds jokingly.

"Well you aren't gonna be around to see it happen if you don't turn stop that hole in your face from making words." Faith comes back with a fiery glare.

"A fragment. Yes." Tempest half chuckles.

"What if we die before they do? Physically I mean." Humphrey asks.

"That's impossible..." Tempest replies.

"And why is that?" Kate inquires slowly.

Tempest shakes his head sadly before meeting her gaze, "Because upon giving you their gifts... The selected elders will die... The process will kill them."

* * *

><p><strong>xXx Garth xXx<strong>

Coats of white move across the surface of the snow, seemingly unaffected by the blizzard around them. Pups peek through forts in the ice, curious to the stranger with the red fur. The elder stands silently, pondering the situation at hand.

"We will help you retrieve your mate, as that pack of wolves has grieved us time after time. This gives us the perfect opportunity to rid our lands of these vermin, simultaneously rescuing what was her name again? Gilly?" He asks in a voice almost to quiet to hear.

"Lilly." Garth replies trough gritted teeth. Unwelcoming, harsh, abrasive, he couldn't decide which word fit best with the arrival at the Northern territory.

"Right." He nods, uncaring. "As for this rescue mission you want my pack to embark on to free you of this mess between the West, East and South and whoever these other wolves are- no. It's not our fight, we will not being getting involved."

"Frost, please." Snow starts.

"Quiet, girl. They think by sending a former member of this pack that my decision will be wavered, Winston was wrong. The North will offer no aid and that word is final." The leader finishes with a tone of authority. "If you would excuse me, I'll gather some alphas for the retrieval and find you when we are ready." Frost nods in self approval before dismissing himself for the silent duo.

"So this whole mission was a waste of time." Snow grumbles. "I left my pups for nothing."

Garth sulks in silence, fuming on the inside. "I honestly don't care about the mission, Snow. All I care about, is finding my mate."

"I understand that, Garth, I truly do. She'll be back with you soon, I promise." Snow replies.

"I hope you're right, for your sake." Garth replies in monotone. When he found the wolf that took Lilly, there would be blood to pay.

* * *

><p><strong>xXx Stormy xXx<strong>

"...And yesterday I even saw him smile!" She exclaims with a wide grin.

"Well that's good, it was so depressing having him around, it's awful but true." Crystal replies to her sister, inspecting the dirt between her claws. The final reserves of summer fall in rats through the den entrance, warming the otherwise cold air.

Stormy pouts at her sisters inconsiderate reply, "You know he as all the reason to be depressed, this whole bullying thing really has gotten out of hand." Stormy informs her sister, pushing the rest of her uneaten food away from her.

"I know I know, it's that dirty little King boy. And Haze..."

"Not since, you know..." Stormy trails off discreetly dragging a nail across an ear.

"Oh I know very well. I know because it's caused every single night's dinner extremely uncomfortable. Glacier sits silently in the corner while Haze tries to make small talk with you and I. Awkward." Crystal states.

"Haze could have at least apologized... And yea it's awkward when their both here, but in case you haven't noticed, Glacier hasn't been around lately. I hardly see him in the feeding grounds."

"Well duh, you and I both know he sneaks out to God knows where just about every night. Comes home late, sometimes not at all." Crystal replies, frowning as she notices the mischievous glint in her sister's eyes. "Why the look?"

"Well I mean..." Story grins, "Don't tell me you're not curious to where he's going..."

"You want to spy on him don't you." Crystal asks with squinted eyes.

"I really do!" Stormy giggles, totally accepting the accusation.

Crystal shakes her head, "You're just bad. Bad. Bad. First this whole thing with Orro, now you want to spy on our poor brother and expel whatever secret it is that's giving him the only joy in life and... I know it was you who put rotting meat in Eve and Winston's den."

"I would never so such a thing..." Stormy chuckles with a wicked smile.

"She devil."

Stormy stares at her sister until their eyes meet, earning a smile from Crystal.

"Why are you staring at me." She asks.

"Because I know you want to come!" Stormy shouts, playfully pawing toward her sister and giggling.

"Ok I do I do!" She retorts in between laughs.

"What do you wanna do?" Glacier asks quietly, curiosity in his face. He tilts his head to the side as he enters the den a look of neutrality on his face.

The girls stop, eyes wide, laughter dead.

"Oh nothing we were just... Uh..." Crystal begins, failing at deceit. "I didn't see you there we were. We were... We-"

"We're talking about our periods!" Stormy blurts out, sending her sister into a burst of laughter.

The boy cringes, "Oh. Well that's gross. Listen do you mind if I eat that?" Glacier asks shyly, pointing at Stormy's unfinished dinner.

Stormy wipes a tear from her face, nodding. "Of course, but why not just grab some from the feeding grounds? The alphas got plenty."

Glacier sighs pulling the leftovers closer and sitting slowly, always careful to avoid reopen the healing cuts covering his body. "King is down their with his gang... I just don't feel like being pushed today. Sworn at... Insulted, ridiculed... You get the point." He informs them, evading their gazes and taking a small bite of his dinner.

"Haze down there as well?" Stormy asks, already knowing the answer.

"Yea." He says almost silently, swallowing. "I think he tried to apologize to me today."

"Really? How'd that go?" Crystal asks seemingly interested.

"He came up to me today after class and looked like he wanted to say something, you know, actually meaningful or whatever... But then he noticed King eyeing him down..."

"Anything at all?" Stormy hopes.

"No... He just stared at me for a second before walking away..." Glacier shrugs, pretending not to care. "Anyway... Thanks for the food, Stormy. I'm gonna head out for a little... I'll be back later."

"You barely ate anything... Where are you off too? It's getting dark out..." Crystal questions.

"I like to sit by the lake..." He replies, moving toward the entrance.

"Do you want any company?" Stormy asks.

"No. I like to be alone..." He says a little too quickly. Bending around the den entrance.

"Ready?" Stormy asks, hopping to her feet in a burst of excitement.

"Hell yea," Crystal retorts.

The two girls quietly leave the den, watching their brother from afar as he enters the edge of the forest.

"It's like stalking practice," Crystal points out as they silently move throughout the trees. "You don't think he'll pick up our scent do you?"

"We are downwind from him, I think it's unlikely... But stop talking or he'll hear us." Stormy replies, the clearing to the lake insight. The sneaking sisters halt at the edge of the clearing, watching their brother make his way up the rocky overlook. Quickly, they dart from the woods and press themselves up against the cool surface of the stones base. Following their brother up the incline, they reach the peak platform of the rock.

The rocky outlook stretched slightly over the surface of the lake, providing a adrenaline pumping fall, for anyone brave enough to jump. The ceiling of the structure slants toward the back of the cave like hideout, but otherwise protects it's occupants from the weather.

"He's been coming to the drop?" Crystal quietly mutters, scanning her surroundings for a hiding place.

"Shhh." Stormy ushers, pointing at a large shelter of stone toward the side of the cave.

Their brother retreats toward the very back of the drop, curling into an orderly ball and closing his eyes. "If we came here to watch him sleep I'm gonna be so disappointed." Crystal speaks again.

The girls watch anxiously, attempting to judge when and if Glacier had fallen asleep. After what feels like an eternity, Stormy and Crystal drift across the the center of the room, taking seats behind their new found lookout.

"So now what?" Crystal whispers, growing more and more impatient.

"There's gotta be some reason he comes here other than to take a nap." Stormy replies with equal hushed volume.

"He likes being alone, he probably just sleeps well here-"

"Shh." Stormy says with a smile, "I hear someone." The girls wait patiently, as the near silent footsteps climb the stony path up to the drop, growing louder and louder. Slowly, a sleek, silver wolf peeks around the entrance of the cave, quickly scanning area and almost jogging up to the sleeping boy in the back.

"Who the fuck is that?" Crystal inquires slightly audible, earning a swift slap from her sister. Stormy sighs in relief as the question goes unheard and watches the stranger curiously.

"Hello again," she chimes in an obviously female, clear voice, nudging Glacier playfully. His tails starts swinging before his eyes open.

"Hey Cyan." He says with a sheepish, shy grin. Pulling himself from the floor he nudges the female gently.

"Good morning Glacier," she chuckles, nudging him back. "Have you seen the moon tonight? It's beautiful!"

"I saw it on my way here, really nice." He replies almost awkwardly."No Jenny?" He asks with the tilt of his head.

"No not tonight, she had other things to do. It's just you and I. Ready for some one on one time?" Cyan jokes giddily.

"Oh that's- uh well that's cool... and yea!" He says, extremely nervous.

Crystal tears her attention away from the awkward meet up and stares he sister in the face, "If they start banging I'm out."

"You know he's not like that." Stormy whispers back.

"Not like you, you mean?" Her sisters prods.

"Stop talking I'm trying to watch." Stormy scolds.

"So how's life been?" Cyan asks, eyes wide.

"Same old same old..." Glacier replies, seemingly forcing out words that tilt on the tip of his tongue, "I...well I appreciate you asking me that every night... It's nice to know that someone cares."

"I know the feeling," Cyan nods, moving slightly closer. "I'm sure your brother cares, your sisters."

"Haze doesn't. I know he doesn't, I can see it in his eyes... Stormy and Crystal have more important things to worry about than me. Sure they aren't mean to me like Haze is but... I feel like they look down on me, or just don't have the time. I just... This is gonna sound really pathetic..." He starts.

"I'm sure it's not, Glacier... What is it?" Cyan asks.

The boy averts the young woman's eyes, embarrassed with himself. "I just miss my mom."

Cyan replies with a sigh and nuzzles the young wolf, "I miss my mom too you know. She died when I was real little. It's nothing to be ashamed of, missing a parent."

"My mom isn't dead she's just... Away... And I feel like, when she comes back, she'll think I'm a loser just like the rest of my pack."

"Of course she won't!" Cyan objects almost frightening the boy. "She's your mother! She's going to love you no matter what... What about your Dad? Can't you find council in him?"

"He's dead." Glacier replies quickly, sighing sadly.

Cyan nods silently in sad retaliation."We have a lot in common, Glacier. Both missing a parent. We both feel alone... I really enjoy talking with you, here, just us two." Cyan points out, for the first time showing hesitation.

"I really like talking to you too, Cyan. You're kind of my only friend... Jenny too... But I feel, closer, to you." An awkward silence follows, before Cyan quickly shakes her head.

"Look I don't come here to talk about woes and troubles. I come here to see you, so let's do something fun!" She says playfully. "Are your wounds healed enough to run?"

"Not quite yet..." He replies shamefully.

"What about swimming?"

"I'm not a big fan of the water." He almost chuckles. "Sorry I'm boring."

"You aren't boring you're just picky, that's alright though, I'm picky too." Cyan giggles, sitting directly in front of Glacier with a wry smile. "Well. We could always make out." She states swiftly.

Glacier's hair stands on end as the blushing rally's with strength. "Oh! Well. I, um, wouldn't mind but, well. I've never... I've never kissed anyone before..." He manages to choke out in between fits of anxiousness.

"It's really easy." Cyan coos, gently pulling the nervous boy closer. "You just let me take the lead."

Glacier swallows hard, his heartbeat increasing in rhythm as Cyan's mouth inches closer and closer until finally...

"That is the cutest thing I've ever seen!" Stormy attempts to squeal silently, careful to not interrupt her brothers first kiss.

"Is that what it is? Because I feel like a creep." Crystal states with a small chuckle.

"They are so cute!" She yells with a whisper.

"Well whatever she is it's not an Eastern or Western wolf." Crystal chimes in as the kiss continues, each participant growing more and more confident.

"Wow they aren't even coming up for air." Stormy winks at her sister.

As if jinxed, the duo pull apart with heavy breaths. "That was... Incredible." Glacier says in a small voice.

"You aren't bad for a novice," Cyan compliments, giving him another quick kiss.

"Cyan... I really li-" Glacier breaks off mid sentence, attention averted to the entrance of the den. "Someone's coming you need to hide!" He begins to panic, scanning the area for a suitable place.

"Why what's wr-" Cyan starts before she hears the approaching voices as well.

"Hide behind the rock over there," Glacier notions toward the already occupied stone. "Don't come out, seriously. You aren't from this pack and we don't really have the best relations with neighboring packs right now so please stay hidden."

Cyan seems to reject the idea at first, before sighing and pacing toward the hiding spot.

"Oh shit." Stormy mumbles.

Cyan rounds the corner of the shelter, not noticing the two girls until they were a hairs width away.

"I told you he came up here!" King cackles unattractively, the four wolves behind him joining in the chuckle, all but one. "How ya doin Glacier?" He asks sarcastically, walking across the distance slowly.

"Shhhh!" Stormy says harshly but lowly to the frightened girl, placing one claw up against her lips. Cyan shakes her head in confusion, mouth agape in shock, before changing to one of anger at the realization of being watched.

"What do you want, King." Glacier mutters, avoiding the larger males intimidating glare.

"I only want to help fix something I broke. The loving companionship between two brothers. Haze, get on up here." King beckons to the wolf furthest back in the group.

Haze walks forward slowly, refusing to look his brother in the eye. King focuses on Glacier, "Comon moron you too," he states motioning Glacier in his direction.

"I'm going home." Glacier declares solemnly, attempting to brush past King. The following shove was expected, as was the strike to the face and the taste of blood.

"Just make this easy on yourself, Glacier and do as I say." King threatens menacingly. "Stand up and approach your brother."

Glacier hesitates for a moment, before reluctantly pulling himself off the floor and walking up to Haze. The two brothers refuse to look at one another, each focusing on the ground.

"Stormy I don't like this." Crystal whispers.

"If it gets bad we will intervene, but only if we have to. We don't want to risk getting Cyan caught." She whispers back, a quick gaze at the she wolf revealing a very angry bystander. Teeth bared and grinding, Cyan didn't look nearly as friendly.

"Haze, say what you want to say to your brother." King commands, "Not what I want to hear, speak your mind."

Haze catches Glacier's stare, surprised to find the male shaking with anger and frustration. "Listen... Glacier... I didn't mean to hurt you so-" Glacier's paw crashes against his brothers face, ending the apology.

"I. Don't. Want anything. To do with you." Glacier stammers in between deep breaths, the effort to keep cool obvious. Tears welled behind Glaciers eyes, but did not hide their fury.

Haze recovers silently, sighing deeply. "Just listen to me, Glacier."

"No!" He half shouts, half sobs. "I'm done with you. I'm going home." He stammers, pushing past his brother.

"God dammit Glacier stop being such a pussy and listen to me!" Haze shouts, equally angry, cutting off his brother's exit.

"Whoa there," King interrupts sarcastically, "I'm really not feeling the love here." He glances at Glacier, frowning at the glare aimed toward himself, "Damn, hurry up Haze I've got mama fucking grizzly grilling me down over here."

"Haven't you tormented me enough?" Glacier asks, shaking his head in disbelief. "Insults, rumors, lies, wounds... It's just not enough for you, is it?" Glacier rhetorically states to his brother.

"Stop being so dramatic I'm just trying to-" Haze begins.

"-What will it be next time, brother? A broken leg? Having my teeth knocked out? Maybe next time you'll just kill me!" Glacier screams emotionally.

"These ARE all viable options..." King chuckles.

"I didn't mean to hurt you that bad... I just got so angry that I..." Haze retorts.

"So angry that you couldn't taste my blood in your mouth? So angry that you couldn't hear my pleas for you to stop? So angry that you couldn't see me bleeding out on the floor when you put your paws around my neck?!"

"...and I wasn't there for this? Damn..." King muddles yet again.

"I'm sorry!" Haze shouts back, looking shameful.

"Yea well I'm not!" His brother banters, "Fuck you!"

"That's a bad word." King pouts.

"And fuck you too!" Glacier points at King with venom. "You took my best friend away from me and replaced him with this!" He shouts, gesturing toward a dumbfounded Haze.

"Settle down, settle down." King soothes with a wide smile. "Seriously, you look like you're about to cry."

Stormy stiffens at the sight of Glacier baring his teeth, a wicked snarl bursting through his frustrated expression. King chuckles, "What? Are you gonna fight me or somet-" The walls reverberate with the sounds of conflict and the scent of blood. The two boys shuffle across the floor, fighting for dominance, sending splatters of red against the ground they cross over.

"Get off of him!" Stormy shouts, frightening everyone but the two locked in the struggle.

"Stormy?!" Haze shouts over the sound of the fighting, anxiousness in his eyes.

"Break them up!" She shouts back not sure of how to enter the brawl safely.

King yelps in pain as Glacier shuts his jaw around the back of the boy's neck and tosses him across the floor, his body sliding dangerously close to the edge of the drop. Glacier responds to the allotted breather with a deep breath, before pouncing after his opponent, who lay weakly on the floor.

"Glacier, stop!" Stormy screams, hoping her presence would shock the sibling into calm. To no avail, Glacier once again picks King up by the nape and throwing him again, closer to the edge.

"Do something!" King screams at his by standing friends. They seem unsure, if not afraid, of joining the brawl and remain motionless.

Glacier cuts the commands short, placing both on the enemy male and teetering him along the edge of the hefty fall. "Leave. Me. Alone." He mutters to King, ignoring the blood that runs across his face and the tears down his cheeks.

"Alright, alright!" King panics, eyeing the fall in fear. "I'll leave you fucking alone!"

"Glacier please, stop." Haze says calmly, slowly approaching his brother.

"Why should I?! I use to look up to you, I loved you so much and this... this loser made you something you weren't! He use to bully you the way you bully me, but you still accepted his offer to join him in whatever fucked up pack he's leading. He's made me an outcast of my peers and you've done nothing but help him!" Glacier continues, choking up.

"Stormy she's..." Crystal begins, speaking to slowly, doing nothing but drawing attention to the young silver wolf, emerging from hiding.

"Who the FUCK is this?!" King shouts angrily, struggling against Glacier's pin.

"Glacier let him go." Cyan says slowly. "I know he's done nothing but hurt you but... He could really get hurt, even die, if he falls off this rock the wrong way. You don't want that kind of blood on your hands and you don't want to take the risk."

"Listen to Cyan," Crystal agrees.

"You're here too?" Glacier asks Crystal in horrible confusion, looking down at the wolf by his feet in anger. He jumps slightly, as someone nudges him affectionately.

"I'm sorry Glacier, I'm so sorry," Haze says, nudging his brother again. Glacier seems to fight the thought, but releases King from the pin, leaning into his brother's shoulders and sobbing in frustration.

"How badly are you hurt, King?" Stormy asks uncaring eyes focused on her brothers. She begins the question again, upon not hearing a reply but stops midway, already knowing what was about to happen, but not in a position to stop it, "Don't-" She starts, as King grabs Glacier by the hind leg, and tears him off the edge of the drop.

**Still alive!**

**~B**


	17. Close to Me

**Chapter 17: Close to Me**

**xXx Lily xXx**

She watches them, disgust etched across her face. Tufts of blood soaked hair drift across the damp and cool den floor. Hunger gnaws at the inside of her stomach betraying her revolt as it groans quietly.

"Hungry?" Clark chuckles, the half eaten corpse of a former pack member resting at his feet. "There's plenty here."

She ignores the animal, pondering an escape for the tenth time. They may be deranged savages, but they were not without intelligence. Time and time she had sprinted from the den, running blindly into the eternal blizzard that raged near the summit of their idolized mountain. And time and time again they would catch her, dragging her back to the cageless prison and tempting her with...

"Once you try it there's no going back," Clark promises her with a bloody grin.

"You're sick." Lily seethes.

"But well fed. Something you, obviously, are not. What's it been now, little hare, four days? When was the last time you ate?"

"Don't worry about it, Clark."

"But if you don't eat, you'll die. And if you die... Well... There's no use in letting food go to waste, especially something so... Delectable looking as you."

Lily's heart slams against her chest at the thought of being a part of the cults meal plan. Garth had to be coming, he wouldn't leave her to these monsters. Unless he was dead... A scrawny and dirty wolf barges into the den huffing, "Clark, there's a patrol team heading up Mother. Five northerners along with one stranger.

"What kind of, stranger"Clark asks quietly, looking at Lily as he waits for the reply, amused.

"We don't know, Clark. But his fur is red. He's definitely not from the North."

Lily's heart swells in her chest, an involuntary smile spreading across her lips and confidence blooming in her gut.

"Why so joyful, all of the sudden?" Clark asks Lily, assumption thick behind his eyes. "You must think that you're ever so lucky. That your mate has come to rescue you. Sympathizing with you, I hope you're right, I suppose. Because if you're wrong..." Clark chuckles, shaking his head from the glee. "If he dies, I'm going to eat him in front of you."

"If," Lily giggles, her tail wagging happily. She trusted her mate and knew of his capabilities. "I'm getting out of here, Clark, and you'll be dead soon."

* * *

><p><strong>xXx Humphrey xXx<strong>

"So tomorrow's gonna be a big day, huh?" Flare speaks up from the silence. The four wolves lay silently in a spacious den, gazing out into the moonless night. The quiet of night was almost eerie, the absence of the stars and moon intimidating.

"I thought we were going to bed," his mate complains groggily.

"I can't sleep either." Humphrey agrees lowly. In all honesty, the thought and attempt to understand the events that would be occurring on the following night was enough to four selected elders. Receive their gifts and begin, 'training.' What that entitled, however, was still currently unknown.

"Same," Kate adds.

"You are the only one who cares so little that you can fall asleep, disregarding any anxieties you feel about this whole soul power mumbo jumbo." Flare states to his mate, a smile almost audible through his tone.

"Yea, well I need my beauty sleep. It takes a lot of work to look good for you." She bites back, her voice much more awake than before.

"Oh how foolish of me, my dear." Flare chuckles. "I love what you've been doing with you thighs."

A loud thump echoes throughout the den, followed by a laughing groan in the darkness. "What was that for?" Flare laughs.

"That was a fat joke you ass." Faith spits, filling the den with a multitude of thumps.

"Never comment on a woman's weight." Kate instructs Humphrey over the groans and chuckles emitting from where their two friends had lain.

"It wasn't ev- ow, a fa- Ow! a fat joke!" Flare wheezes, fending off the thumps of aggravation that flew out of the darkness around him.

Faith responds with a swift hmph, "Well whatever it's purpose was, I'll have you know that I'm perfectly confident with my thighs."

"You tell him, girl," Kate playfully banters.

"I love your thighs too!" Flare promises, snickering.

"Well I hope you haven't grown to attached, because you won't be seeing them for a while." She retorts in a tone of high maintenance.

"Bummer dude," Humphrey says with pity.

"Comon babe, it was just a bit of tomfoolery." Flare coos.

Silence follows, before Faith replies in a slow, hesitant tone. "Did... Did you just say 'tomfoolery'?"

"Yea, why? Flare replies, curious.

"What are you?! An old man?! How can you even, I don't even think I've heard Winston use that word!" Faith stammers in revolt. "Forget the elderly soul we'll be harboring, you obviously don't need any more old in you!"

"It was a strange choice of words." Kate says quietly, trying not to laugh.

"Humphrey where are you, I'm coming to lay next to you," Flare asks, defeated.

"You're not going anywhere!" Faith tells him with authority.

"What? Why?" Flare asks,

"Because I wanna kiss you, duh." Faith replies slyly.

"I have become partners with the most bipolar moody woman in all the land, haven't I?" Flare chuckles.

"The one and only, biatch." Faith snickers back. The den goes silent, other than the slightly uncomfortable sound of Flare and Faith's kissing.

"Well now I feel like a peeping tom." Humphrey whispers to his mate.

"If you can't beat them, join em, right?" Kate asks seductively, somehow finding her mate's lips in the utter darkness. The two mates hold each other passionately, their first intimate reunion nothing short of incredible.

"Hey, uh, Faith and I are gonna take a little walk." Flare states awkwardly.

"Sure ya are." Kate giggles. "Don't go easy on him, Faith."

"I never do." She says with pride.

"It's true, she never does." Flare agrees, the sound of the two wolves leaving the den growing more and more quiet.

An awkward silence ensures, before Humphrey whispers in Kate's ear. "If you can't beat them... Join them?"

Kate moves closer to Humphrey and whispers back with equal lust, "I couldn't agree more."

* * *

><p><strong>xXx Shadow xXx<strong>

"Weakness truly is utterly revolting." He states with a frown, watching the small pack move about the night.

"Look... Shadow, is it?" The pack leader speaks cautiously, "I sympathize with your efforts and although there motives remain unclear to me it is a shame that the Southern pack has taken such a major hit... But we are not a part of the South, we were simply governed, annexed by them if you would. I have no problem housing your men, or offering you aid, but my pack will not be involved in this quarrel you and the South -what's left of them- with the Eastern and Western packs."

"Roran, I wouldn't allow your pack into my ranks if you paid me there weight in blood. And the Eastern and Western packs are merely a nuisance, the real enemy lies in waiting back home." Shadow insults, uncaring.

The head alpha shrugs off the rude comment, sighing as the stranger continues to stare with disappointment at the territory and its occupants around him. "Then... If you don't mind me asking... Why are you here?"

"I'm here to collect the Southern wolves who survived the battle. They have proven to be capable warriors and valuable assets. In return, I want to reward them for their efforts."

"Reward them how?" Roran asks, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

"By offering them power." Shadow replies, not caring to elaborate. "We will be leaving on the morning."

Roran offers a sigh of relief, the presence of the outsiders had cast a gloomy aura throughout his pack and they would not be missed.

"You won't be seeing us again for a while." Shadow continues, "Not until we are done with the adversaries back home. Then, then we will be back.'

"For what? What do we have here to offer you?"

"You? Nothing. The Eastern and Western packs, however have plenty of things to offer."

"I thought you said they were just a nuisance." Roran asks, a chill crawling down his spine.

"They are. And nuisances must be dealt with, when the time is right." Shadow claims, inspecting one of the scythe like protrusions stretching off the side of his paw.

"My pack and I will be left alone though... Right?" Roran questions, looking for reassurance. The cons of being a smaller pack were numerous, but being at the mercy of those with more wolves than you was the worst.

"Maybe." Shadow chuckles, casting a glare at the pack leader, "That all depends on my mood." He finishes, dismissing himself from the pack leader's den and walking into the cool night air. "Oh and Roran." He calls back, a wicked smile on his face.

"Yes?" He answers uneasily.

Shadow chuckles at the opportunity to cause turmoil before continuing, "Your daughter's been sneaking out of the territory for the past week or so. In fact, I would guess she's gone at the moment."

"What?!" Roran inquires, jumping to his feet in panic. "Where did she go?!"

"She headed off in the direction of the Eastern and Western packs, but I can't be too sure of her exact location. However, I can reassure you with one detail." Shadow promises, trying to look helpful.

"And what's that?" Roran snaps, the arrogance of his daughters night time habits allotting for a short fuse.

"For the past few days, she's had a new scent to her. Not her own, of course. That of a male." He snickers.

"How does that reassure me?" Roran seethes.

"Oh it doesn't." Shadow says, spiraling into mad laughter. "Just thought I should let you know. If she get's caught by a patrol team I'm sure you'd be **very** unhappy."

"Why didn't you let me know earlier in the week?!" Roran yells, panic growing in his gut.

"And take the child's fun away from her? What do you take me for, a monster?" Shadow asks, pouting sarcastically. "If you want to find out the details of her dirty little escapades, ask her little friend, Jenny I believe is her name." Shadow speaks from over his shoulder, having his fun and walking further away from the dumbfounded and enraged father. "What a fun little chat."

* * *

><p><strong>xXx Stormy xXx<strong>

Cyan had jumped before Stormy could, courageously leaping off the face of the drop and into the merciless waters below.

"What's wrong with you!?" Haze stammers to King, who carefully brushes himself off the ground.

"Oh please, I just gave him a little bath is all." King replies with a grin, walking away from the edge.

Stormy ignores the two boys, taking a deep breath and leaping off the edge. She had jumped countless times before, on hot summer days. But always in broad daylight, when the rocks were most noticeable. She falls for a second, the world silent, preparing herself for the surface of the lake, which rushes up to meet her with an icy hand. The water burns with frozen fire as she breaks through the surface on the rise, quickly scanning for her brother. Glacier struggles to stay afloat to her left, bobbing under the water.

"Don't stop paddling!" Stormy screams to him, spotting Cyan only a few feet from her drowning brother.

"C-Can't s-swim!" He chokes back in between mouthfuls of water.

Stormy fights against the cold, swimming toward her brother and Cyan as fast as the water would allow her to move.

"I need help moving him to land!" Cyan shouts to her, now only a foot from a quickly sinking Glacier. "Hold on to my neck, Glacier!" She orders, slipping herself under one of his paws. He coughs viciously, spewing water from his lungs at Stormy meets them.

"Stormy I can't swim with him on top of me, try lifting the lower half of his body to ease the weight." Cyan asks, calm under pressure, but the effort of keeping two afloat present on her features. Stormy quickly preforms the task to the letter, slipping under the waves and therefor under the lower half of Glacier's body.

"Much better," Cyan sighs, the weight even distributed re gifting her the ability to move through the water. The two girls approach the beach, inch by inch, until finally collapsing in the sand. Cyan rests for a moment, before leaping back to her feet and inspecting a the white wolf next to her, who continued to cough up water.

She shuts her eyes tight at the sight of the leg wound. Where King had clasped on to Glacier's back leg a clean but bleeding tear stretched down the length of the leg, obviously severing the tendon. "Glacier are you alright." She asks gently.

"My leg hurts..." he says quietly, refusing to look at the wound, instead focusing on Cyan with a frown. He attempts to stand, but falls back to earth as his hind leg gives out. "I can't walk." He states, tearing up.

A long howl pierces the night, descending in volume from the peak of the drop. Stormy shakes her head in disbelief, not able to understand King's desire for spite, knowing fully that Haze howled to alert a nearby patrol team.

"Cyan you need to leave right now." Stormy ushers her as Haze howls again, this time louder. She pushes herself underneath her exhausted brother lifts him to his feat, a majority of his weight resting upon her side.

"I'm not going anywhere, Stormy." Cyan replies, offering her support to Glacier as well, alleviating some of Glacier's weight.

"A patrol team is going to be here any second... You aren't from this pack." Stormy clarifies.

"Let's worry about your brother instead of me, he needs it more." She replies selflessly, the sound of an approaching patrol team peaking through the woods.

"I'm so sorry, Cyan." Glacier shakes, crying quietly.

"Shh, it's not your fault." Cyan reassures him.

"So... I guess now's a good a time as ever to introduce myself..." Stormy says awkwardly, as they continue to shuffle toward the forests edge. Members of the patrol team emerge from the woods, immediately spotting the injured wolf. Three alphas sprint toward the girls, Allen at the rear.

"Glacier?" Allen asks slowly.

"He's hurt, Allen." Stormy informs him, motioning toward her brother's bleeding leg.

"How did, why..." Allen notices one of the alphas eyeing the other female suspiciously and proceeds to do the same. "...Who are you?" He asks, suddenly unsettled.

"My name is Cyan. Mind if we wait to do introductions? Glacier isn't in the best condition."

Allen nods slowly, eyes never leaving the foreigner. "Right... Follow me. Ryan, go tell Helen we're on our way. And inform Winston as well." Allen commands to one of the alphas, who nods quickly and sprints back into the forest.

Haze leaps into view, vision focused on his soaking and bleeding brother. "Are you all right?"

"Haze?" Allen asks, growing more and more confused.

King and his friends try nonchalantly walking down the slope, until Allen notices them as well along with Crystal casually strolling down the ramp to the drop. "What the hell is going on?" He asks annoyed.

"King is a psychopath." Stormy replies, stopping their slow paced movement.

"Shut up, Stormy!" He snarls, close enough to here. "At least I'm not like your traitorous little brother, fucking some whore from the Southern pack." Hr spits, eyeing Cyan dangerously.

Glacier snarls and makes an attempt to pounce, but his strength fails him and he crashes into the sand with a small whimper. King laughs, along with his three companions.

"That's enough." Allen says with authority, "I don't know what exactly happened here, but I will find out." He says menacingly, staring at King.

"Oh I'm being blamed, is that it?" King shouts, startling the older alpha with his disrespect. "If it's anyone's fault it's Glacier's. Look what he did to my face!" King screams, pointing to the gashes that stretched across his cheek.

"Look what you did to his leg!" Stormy screams back with equal rage. "He can't walk on his own, thanks to you!"

"If only it were his throat that bled like that!" King shouts with venom.

Allen watches in shock as the group of young wolves erupt into violence. King collides with Stormy, while his friends divide among themselves to counter Cyan and Crystal, leaving Glacier immobile on the sand.

"How do you like being thrown by the neck!" King shouts, breaking free of Stormy's conflict and pouncing on Glacier, quickly biting into the back of his neck and throwing his motionless body into Allen's. The alpha to Allen's right takes charge, pouncing on King forcefully with a snarl.

Glacier attempts to stand yet again, ready to fall, when Allen catches him. "You're bleeding everywhere, Glacier." Allen comments, before snarling loudly, stopping the other combatants. "ENOUGH!" He shouts, "All of you are to report in my den in ten minutes. All except you," Allen commands, pointing at Cyan. "You and I are going to have a chat after we get Glacier to the pack healers."

"That's fair," she nods in respect, swiftly returning to Glacier's side.

"Good. Now let's go." Allen orders darkly.

* * *

><p><strong>xXx Allen xXx<strong>

"So where exactly are you from?" He asks calmly. The young wolf in front of him meets his stare bravely with confidence, doing the same for Winston, who stands silently in the back of the den, exhaustion thick in his eyes.

"My pack and territory reside to the southwest of the Southern territory and before you ask, no we are not the same. My pack had nothing to do with the past conflict." Cyan replies respectfully.

"Then what exactly is your alignment with the South?" Winston asks, intrigued.

"Our alliance was simple. In exchange for not being attacked, we allowed the Southern pack to hunt on our territory." Cyan answers swiftly.

"And the other wolves? The outsiders? What allegiance do you carry for them?" Allen persists.

"They come and go as they please, but they are not welcome." Cyan replies with a frown. "I understand you have plenty of questions, this being the first time you have encountered a wolf from my pack, but you should save them for my father, he could answer them best."

"And your father is..." Winston asks, a frown on his face at the realization.

"The pack leader, yes." She replies curtly. "Don't worry though, he won't come for me teeth bared. He will come diplomatically. Although... he may have some unpleasant things to say to me..."

"Because you've been sneaking away at night to visit Glacier?" Winston assumes with an understanding nod. "It may be personal, but what did these visits... entitle?"

Cyan blushes and shakes her head. "They weren't those kind of visits... Glacier is close to me... My friend and I were exploring your territory one night when we stumbled upon him by the drop... We took to each other quickly... I didn't realize the Eastern and Western packs allowed their pack members to be brutalized and assaulted." She says slightly angrily.

"We don't." Allen frowns. "King will be talked to, as will Haze."

"Talked to? I apologize, for I know it's not my place to tell you how to govern, but those two boys have tortured Glacier and nothing has been done about it."

"You seem to care an awful lot for Glacier, despite your short time knowing him." Winston points out with something that could almost be described as a smile.

Cyan blushes once more and runs a claw through the dirt. "Like I said... He's close to me..."

**Two chapters in one week?! I spoil you!**

~B


	18. Recipient

**Chapter 18: Recipient**

**xXx Humphrey xXx**

The elders sit in quiet, old tired eyes focused on the smooth surface of the enveloped lake. Moonlight slips through a small gap near the top of the cave, gracefully bleeding into the sapphire like water.

"So how do we go about doing this?" Faith asks loudly, truly killing the moment of serenity. Her voice echoes throughout the space, earning a wince from her mate.

"Please let her gift be the power of silence." Flare mumbles to himself, smiling at the wicked cast stare.

Humphrey fidgets uncomfortably, the icy hand of the lake clawing at his legs. The four wolves stand in the shallow water, avoiding the slightly awkward gaze of the older wolves.

"Which one of us is going with that savage?" An elderly woman asks, unimpressed, with a claw pointed at Faith.

"And my mother always told me that there was no such thing as zombies." Faith starts, swinging her head dramatically to the elder, "Obviously. She lied."

"Precious." The woman replies with a sneer, "Tell me, was your mother the moose that bore you, or are those your father's genes?"

"Alright listen, you saggy gray fly magnet, you have no idea who you're-"

"Actually." Tempest interrupts, a hint of amusement in his tone, "You two are paired together."

The two wolves groan in horror simultaneously, wearing looks of anger and dissatisfaction.

"I got paired with the crypt keeper." Faith sobs dramatically, leaning on Flare for support.

"Is this... Thing... Really who you think matches the best, Tempest?" The old lady questions, the hope for a joke thick in her eyes.

"Yes, Ida. Faith is a good match. It may just take some time." He replies seriously, nodding in affirmation.

"Well she's clearly had a lot of that, mind sharing some?" Faith jabs as the female wolf carefully enters the lake, a scowl on her face.

"You smell like mud and sex you barbaric little heathen," Ida mutters under her breath.

"You smell like death." Faith retorts, eyes antagonizing.

"It's like staring into a mirror that shows you the future." Flare says sadly in Humphrey's ear, a terrified frown on the male's face.

"Ferrick, Kate will be your match." Tempest continues, motioning for an ancient brown wolf to approach Kate.

"Sounds good to me." He says with a sigh, the effort of movement apparent. "Don't be worried about conflicting gender," he adds as he shuffles, "I'm more feminine than this one over here," he concludes, casting a nod toward Faith.

"I hate old people."

Kate shakes her head, the surrealism of the scenario creeping into mind. "Nice to meet you, Ferrick."

"Likewise."

"Thirdly, Talum, Flare will be your partner." Tempest assigns, a faded gold she wolf swiftly dipping from her perch.

"Wait, why is my mate getting a female soul?" Faith pipes up, far from happy.

"Oh please," Talum chuckles, "I have more masculinity in my tail than this pretty boy has in his entire being." She informs with a sarcastic expression.

"I accept that." Flare shrugs, laughing quietly.

A silver wolf slides into the water unannounced, taking position adjacent to Humphrey. "Humphrey," Tempest calls, "Riddle will be your match." The wolf bows without a word, bright blue eyes blinking calmly.

A controlled, gentle wind writhes around the cave, bringing four blue flowers with it. They land softly against the surface of the lake each coming to rest in between in pair of wolves.

"Humphrey, Kate, Flare, Faith." Tempest names with authority, gaining the focus of each. "Will you accept the soul of that offered?" He asks with a sad smile.

The four wolves nod, uneasy. The elders shut their eyes, seeming to enjoy a brief moment of acceptance. Each softly runs a tongue against the petals of the floating flowers, like a mother would clean her pup. The petals glow for a second, as if responding to the touch.

"In order to claim what has been offered, you must be the ones to free these souls from life." Tempest instructs, a solemn frown on his face, eyes averted.

"What?!" Kate shrieks, taking a step back.

"I'm not killing anyone," Humphrey says, supporting Kate's shock.

"You aren't killing us..." Ferrick soothes kindly, "Your simply guiding a part of us from this body, to your own."

"Creepy." Faith whispers, inspecting an unhappy Ida's neck. "I'm guessing a few teeth to the throat?" She inquires, winking at the woman.

"Efficient." Ida sighs, sticking out her tongue at Faith.

"I don't know if I'm comfortable with this... I don't want an innocent wolf's blood in my mouth..." Flare speaks sadly, gazing sadly at Talum's bored and angry expression.

"Bite me in the neck and be done with it you great big pansy." She ushers, taking a step closer.

"This is the way it must be done..." Tempest interjects.

Humphrey's heart slams against his chest, the urge to walk away swelling up inside of him. Riddle cocks his head to one side, confused, quickly crossing the distance and raising exposed throat to mouth. "I-I don't think I can do this." He stutters.

"Yea this is a bit too, sacrificial for me." Faith complains, avoiding Ida's stony eyes.

"I'm surprised you know a word that big." She cooes.

"I can help... If you'd like." A child's voice rings across the cave, Bella grinning widely from her hidden place near Tempest. "I can make it so that you don't even remember it. It wouldn't even be you doing it, it would be me. Well... Technically..."

"Bella is willing to preform the act herself, through you." Tempest explains, nudging the girl affectionately. "You wouldn't be conscious for it. You wouldn't remember it. Unfortunately it's either this, or you do the deed yourselves."

A small gasp of pain catches the groups attention, Ida quickly sighing in relief, a smile stretching across her old face. "Good girl." She compliments, voice fading. Faith's eyes remain shut, the blood flowing from behind her teeth raining lightly into the crystal clear lake, dying it red. She gently lowers the body into the shallow surface releasing the throat from her maw. The flower in front of her shines a brilliant blue, Faith staggering to the floor and passing out, red water lapping at her lower lip.

"She might be a bit mouthy, but at least she has respect." Talum notes, catching Flare's shocked and curious stare and sighing. "You can go about this however you'd like. But personally? And I know Ida feels the same way, I'd prefer it if the person I'm doing this for would look into my eyes as they released me. Rather that than hide behind some mind trick."

Humphrey exhales in disbelief, blood pumping in his ears. He swallows conscience and bats away panic, bringing an open jaw to Riddle's neck. The silver wolf embraces the action, pushing the skin against the sharp teeth, anticipating the killing motion. The world seems to slow, seeming to wait with baited breath, until Humphrey meets Riddle's anxious icy blue stare and bites down. Warm blood gushes past his tongue and the world grows dark. A distant, fading voice calls through the blackness of fading awareness, thanking him.

**xXx Cyan xXx**

She watches the pack healer pace from the den in tired, lofty steps. A long day noticeable in her stride. The moonless sky sets the territory in a gloomy, quiet shadow. The she wolf slips through the brush that conceals her, darting through the cover of darkness and through the den entrance. The air smells of old blood and herbs. He lies against the wall, deep ragged breaths filling the room.

"I'm never going to walk the same." He says suddenly, startling her.

Cyan walks across the den, sitting across from the boy. "She can't possibly know that already... It could heal and be good as new." She tries to comfort, placing her face close to his.

"She does... She says I'll never be an Alpha, something about the muscles being severed." He whispers, weakly crawling toward his friend and nestling against her chest. He breathes deeply, trying to calm himself.

"Glacier..." Cyan says kindly, licking the boy across the muzzle.

He lifts his head at the contact, meeting her gaze with a fragile smile. He hesitates, appearing to stutter in movement, before leaning in and kissing her. Cyan pulls back for a moment, embracing the affection a second later. Glacier pushes further, falling on top of the other wolf. Cyan giggles, allowing the delicate and injured boy to take control.

"I like you too, Glacier." She whispers into his mouth, gently nibbling on the male's lip.

He breaks apart from the kiss, placing the top of his head on the wolf's chest and sobbing softly. Cyan pulls the male closer, their fur clashing and wraps her arms around him. "Don't cry," she tells him, finding his muzzle and guiding him back into a kiss. "Let's do something." She says suddenly.

He sniffs, confused, tilting his head. "D-do what?"

Cyan licks his cheek, smiling wryly. "What do you want to do?"

"Oh... Well, this, this is fine." He stutters awkwardly.

"Nothing else?" She asks, raising an eyebrow and lapping at her lips lecherously.

The blush makes the girl smile, repeatedly kissing his face. "What did you have in mind?" He asks, swallowing roughly.

"How about... something that will make you feel better." Cyan suggests, a spark in her eye.

"I've never... you know..." Glacier admits softly, embarrassed.

"Ever?"

"Never..."

"What about," Cyan giggles, paw gesture rising and falling through the air.

"Oh!" Glacier chuckles shyly, averting the girl's curious and excited peer. "I've done that before... Just nothing with another wolf..."

"Would you like to fix that?" She whispers in his ear, grinding her hips to his.

Tail wagging, the male stifles his anticipation, maintaining casualty. "I... Would really like to fix that... With you."


End file.
